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Casinos as a symbol of the "golden era" of tourism (Cuba)
In the 1940s and 1950s, Havana became an icon of Caribbean tourism. The hotel-casino-cabaret bundle has turned the capital's nightlife into a magnet for travelers from the United States and Latin America. The casino became not just a place of play - the central symbol of the "golden era" around which routes, marketing and urban infrastructure were built.
1) Why exactly the casino became a symbol of the era
Emotion and status: the game was associated with luxury, freedom and a "cinematic" lifestyle.
Integrated offer: fine dining → cabaret revue → tables/slots → bar/dance - ready-made "evening scenario" for the tourist.
Easy logistics: proximity to Florida, charters and cruises for the schedule of shows and casinos.
Mediavitrina: Reports, postcards, posters and celebrity stories cemented Havana's image as the "Las Vegas Caribbean."
2) Architecture of the "golden era": icon hotels and scenes
Riviera, Capri, Deauville, Habana Hilton, Hotel Nacional are modernist hotels with playrooms, restaurants, bars and stages.
Tropicana, Sans Souci, Montmartre - world-class cabarets synchronized with the gambling zone.
Design and service: marble lobbies, neon, pop catwalks, computer politics (drinks/dinners for players), VIP salons.
3) Integrated resort business model
Casino anchor: launched the evening stream and ARPU, increased number loading.
Cross-selling: show tickets, cocktail clubs, restaurants, boutique galleries
Package marketing: "Havana weekend" with fixed tours, transfers and table/ticket reservations.
Seasonality and eventfulness: festival weeks, stellar tours, "high-roller nights."
4) Economic multiplier
Employment: croupiers, cashiers, waiters, artists, musicians, dressers, cooks, drivers, security.
Supply Chains: Gastronomy, Alcohol, Sewing, Scenery, Light/Sound
Tourist check: from night expenses and tips - to additional excursions and purchases in the city.
Urban infrastructure: taxis, ports, airports, promotional showcases, entertainment quarters.
5) The cultural code of the "golden era"
Music scene: mambo, cha-cha-cha, bolero, big bands - casino "soundtrack."
Stars and chronicles: the press broadcast "win stories," social events and the arrival of celebrities.
Fashion and etiquette: tuxedos and cocktail dresses, cigars and champagne are the visual vocabulary of the era.
6) What and how they played
Tables: roulette, baccarat, "twenty-one," craps; private rooms for high-rollers.
Poker: cash games and mini-tournaments "by invitation."
Slots: electromechanics and early electronics in the foyer and galleries.
Sweepstakes/bets: for specific events and venues, as part of the evening program.
7) Shadow side of the model
Corruption "lubricants" and dependence on administrative patronage.
The role of criminal capital in terms of projects: "cash discipline," high-stakes rooms, laundering risks.
Social tension: uneven distribution of benefits between the capital and the province, criticism of moralists and the press.
8) Why the "golden era" ended
The political turning point of 1959: the closure of casinos, the nationalization of assets, the prohibition of commercial gambling.
The drying up of external demand: a drop in tourist flow from the United States and a change in the tourism paradigm.
Breaking the evening economy: the show format has been preserved in some places, but without the gambling component.
9) Heritage for tourism today
Architecture and place names: facades of modernism, legendary halls and scenes are part of the city's memory.
Myth and branding: the history of the "golden era" feeds cultural tourism, retro routes and documentary projects.
Industry lessons: An integrated model can quickly build traffic and revenue, but is vulnerable to political risk and reputational shocks.
10) Timeline of the "golden era"
1930s: Tourism momentum, clubs and private salons.
1940s: consolidation of the "cabaret + casino" bundle.
1957-1958: Peak of modernist casino hotels (Riviera, Capri, Deauville, Habana Hilton).
1959: Casino closure, end of legal gaming model.
The casino in pre-war Havana was the heart of the tourist product - a symbol of status, emotion and a "ready-made scenario" of relaxation. It created a powerful economic multiplier and a global image of the capital, but at the same time accumulated vulnerabilities - from a corruption trail to dependence on external demand. The political turn of 1959 turned off the gaming circuit, but the cultural aura of the "golden era" continues to work as a magnet for researchers, filmmakers and tourists who are interested in the history of the Caribbean.