Casino Owner Gambles on Vegan Options

by Martin Matheny · 2010-08-26 05:00:00 UTC
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Las Vegas has always been a place where excess is the rule, not the exception. It's a place where you can win or lose thousands, even tens of thousands, of dollars on the turn of a card if you're so inclined. And beyond the excess of the gaming tables, there's the excess you see at the dining tables. Don't forget, Vegas is the place that brought you the "four by four by two" dessert — sixteen scoops of ice cream, and the mind-boggling gluttonfest that is the 340-foot long Carnival buffet. (Over 300 different foods, including over 70 desserts, if you're keeping score at home.) Needless to say, it's not a particularly vegan- or vegetarian-friendly town, as we've noted before.

Now, casino mogul Steve Wynn is finally bringing Vegas into a healthier food future by requiring his Vegas casinos (he currently owns two: the Encore and the Wynn-Las Vegas) to offer multiple vegan options every day. In all, that means around twenty restaurants, including quick-service cafes, five-star dining and, of course, the buffets.

This doesn't mean that vegans were out of luck in Vegas prior to Wynn's announcement; some of the restaurants owned by casino mega-chain Harrah's were vegan-friendly, and Las Vegas Sun writer John Katsilometes (who is going vegan himself) notes that you can get a vegan burger at Caesar's Palace. But, Wynn is going vegan in a Vegas-big way, by offering vegan options at every restaurant he owns.

So, if you lose your shirt at the blackjack tables, at least you can console yourself with Fava Bean Puree with sauteed hon shimeji mushrooms, or perhaps some edamame and tarragon vinaigrette. For dessert, try some blueberry cobbler with toasted almond ice cream, or avocado mousse. (I'll pass on that, thanks.) Heck, you can even go vegan at Wynn's signature steakhouse.

While Wynn's move is clearly good news for vegans, it's also smart marketing. Over 39 million people per year go to Las Vegas. A 2008 survey found that about 0.5% of the U.S. population is vegan. Do the math, and we're talking about a not-insignificant number of people who are going to be pretty jazzed about vegan options.

Even if you're not vegan, if you find yourself in Vegas, maybe you should check out the Wynn-Las Vegas or the Encore and order up something healthy and tasty. After all, what happens in Vegas ...

Photo credit: Melissa Gray

Martin Matheny is a political consultant and animal welfare writer based in Athens, Georgia.
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