Editing Laughlin, Nevada (section)

==History==
[[File:Avi Golfcourse.jpg|thumb|Avi Resort and Casino Golf Course in Laughlin in 2007]]
The townsite of Laughlin was established in the 1940s as ''South Pointe'' because of the proximity to the southern tip of the state of Nevada. The early town consisted of a motel and bar that catered to gold and silver miners, construction workers building [[Davis Dam]], and fishing enthusiasts. In the 1950s, construction workers left, and the town functionally disappeared.

In 1964, Don Laughlin, owner of the 101 Club in Las Vegas, flew over the site and saw its tourism potential. He offered to buy the land, and within a few years, the [[Riverside Resort Hotel & Casino|Riverside Resort]] motel and casino, consisting of only 12 slots and two live tables, begun operating.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.riversideresort.com/don-laughlin-history-founder-riverside-resort-casino/ |title=Don Laughlin, History, Founder, Laughlin, Riverside Resort Hotel & Casino |access-date=February 3, 2021}}</ref> A second casino, the Bobcat Club, opened in 1967, where the Golden Nugget Laughlin currently operates. In 1968, a third casino, the Monte Carlo, opened its doors. The neighboring [[Bullhead City, Arizona]] was a key part in Laughlin's growth, with shuttle boats transported customers from the Arizona side of the river to Laughlin's resorts and back. The southernmost tip of Nevada, along the Colorado River, where Nevada, California, and Arizona meet, was a major national tourist destination and gambling resort during the 70s, 80s & 90s.<ref>{{Cite news|last=O'Reiley|first=Tim|date=September 4, 2011|title=Laughlin looks to halt decade of tourism declines|url=https://www.reviewjournal.com/business/casinos-gaming/laughlin-looks-to-halt-decade-of-tourism-declines/|access-date=July 27, 2021|work=Las Vegas Review-Journal|language=en-US}}</ref>

In the 1980s, Laughlin was developed with the construction of several more hotels and casinos. The Colorado Hotel (now the Pioneer), The Regency, Sam's Town Gold River (now the Laughlin River Lodge), and The Edgewater opened in the early 1980s. Other investors saw the growth as an opportunity to get in on the action. A second boom resulted in the construction of The Colorado Belle, Harrah's Del Rio, and The Ramada Express (now The Tropicana Express). In 1987, Don Laughlin funded and built the Laughlin Bridge at a cost of $3.5 million, which connected Laughlin to [[Bullhead City]] by land directly. He donated the bridge to the states of Nevada and Arizona. The bridge carries 30,000 vehicles daily. In 1988, a [[megaresort]] project called [[Emerald River (unfinished project)|Emerald River]] was announced. The $800 million project would have included four hotel-casinos, but construction was halted in 1990 due to financing problems, leaving two unfinished towers.<ref>{{cite news|last=Segall|first=Eli|title=Laughlin's abandoned Emerald River resort remains an eyesore|url=https://www.reviewjournal.com/business/casinos-gaming/laughlins-abandoned-emerald-river-resort-remains-an-eyesore/|access-date=January 10, 2017|work=[[Las Vegas Review-Journal]]|date=December 18, 2016}}</ref> A golf course was the only aspect of Emerald River to be completed,<ref name=Hawkins>{{cite news |last=Hawkins |first=Dave |title=Las Vegas developer acquires acreage in Laughlin |url=http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2001/Jun-01-Fri-2001/business/16224490.html |work=Las Vegas Review-Journal |date=June 1, 2001 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020425003016/http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2001/Jun-01-Fri-2001/business/16224490.html |archive-date=April 25, 2002}}</ref> operating from 1990 until 2005.<ref>{{cite news |title=USGA rates new Laughlin course Nevada's toughest |url=https://reviewjournal.newsbank.com/search?text=%22USGA+rates+new+Laughlin+course+Nevada%27s+toughest%22&content_added=&date_from=&date_to=&pub%5B%5D=1508AFD0E83DBED6 |work=Las Vegas Review-Journal |date=July 26, 1990 |access-date=November 25, 2024 |url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Town advisory board criticizes handling of golf course closure |url=https://www.newslibrary.com/newspapers?sort=dsc&formType=basic&alltext=%22Town+advisory+board+criticizes+handling+of+golf+course+closure%22 |work=Laughlin Nevada Times |date=July 5, 2005 |access-date=November 25, 2024 |url-access=subscription |via=Newslibrary}}</ref> The Flamingo Hilton, now known as The Aquarius, was built in 1990.

The [[Mohave Power Station]] opened in 1971,<ref>{{cite web|title=Existing Electric Generating Units in the United States, 2006|publisher=[[Energy Information Administration]], U.S. Department of Energy|year=2006|url=http://www.eia.gov/cneaf/electricity/page/capacity/capacity.html|format=Excel|access-date=July 14, 2008}}</ref> and closed down on December 31, 2005.

===Incorporation attempts===
In 2012, some residents disapproving of Clark County politics made a push to incorporate Laughlin as a city in order stave off additional loss business opportunities, as well as gain local control. The proposal did not include Laughlin Casinos.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/laughlin-pitching-incorporation-plan-to-county-commission/|title=Laughlin pitching incorporation plan to County Commission|date=February 15, 2012}}</ref> When the proposal came to a vote in a referendum, the vote was 57 percent opposed to 43 percent in favor.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/laughlin-residents-vote-down-city-status/|title=Laughlin residents vote down city status}}</ref>

In 2019, Senate Bill 213 failed to pass the Nevada legislature's Committee of Government Affairs, which would have made Laughlin a city without the consent of the voters.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.mohavedailynews.com/news/legislation-to-incorporate-laughlin-dies-in-committee/article_190818da-600f-11e9-ac47-f36e93987a7e.html|title=Legislation to incorporate Laughlin dies in committee|work=Mohave Daily News}}</ref> This would have given Laughlin representation on 9 of the 15 entities now providing services to the community<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://laughlinedc.org/incorporation|title=Laughlin Economic|publisher=Laughlin Economic Development Corporation}}</ref>

In 2021, Senate Bill 79 was introduced to allow for an election for incorporation in 2022.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/7343/Text | title=SB79 Text }}</ref> The Bill was sent to the Committee of Government Affairs<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.leg.state.nv.us/Session/81st2021/Journal/Senate/Final/sj001.pdf|title= SENATE DAILY JOURNAL}}</ref> where it failed to pass. Some local residents of the community also expressed concern that incorporation would make Laughlin unaffordable for senior citizens during the covid-19 pandemic. Others viewed it as an excuse to "raid" the Ft. Mohave Development Fund <ref name="files.clarkcountynv.gov">{{cite web|url=https://files.clarkcountynv.gov/clarknv/LTAB%20minutes%2003092021.pdf|title=Laughlin Town Advisory Board}}</ref> Senator Hardy, explained to community members in the March 9, 2021, meeting that the reason he introduced the bill was to provide better public safety services to a growing Laughlin. Currently, there are memorandums of understanding with Bullhead City, for fire protection in Laughlin<ref name="files.clarkcountynv.gov"/>