Las Vegas (board game)
A dice-placement board game with a Las Vegas gambling theme.
Las Vegas (released in the US as Vegas Dice Game) is a board game created by Rüdiger Dorn and brought out by Ravensburger in 2012. Its theme draws from the gambling scene of its namesake city in Nevada, and it earned a nomination for the Spiel des Jahres award that same year.
The game accommodates two to five players. The set includes six small boards representing different casinos (originally named after real Vegas establishments, later given fictional names, and in the US version simply numbered with matching decorative art), a deck of 54 currency cards ranging from $10,000 to $90,000 in $10,000 increments, a "First Player" card, and five sets of eight dice in distinct colors (orange, green, blue, black, and white). The US edition also adds a dice pouch.
Play unfolds over four rounds. At the start of each round, each casino receives a random bill from the deck, with the rule that every casino must hold at least $50,000—if a bill is lower, additional bills are dealt until that threshold is met. Players take turns rolling all eight of their dice. After rolling, a player must choose a casino by picking a number shown on the dice and placing all dice of that number onto the corresponding casino board. Passing is only allowed when a player has no dice left for the round.
Once everyone has placed all their dice, winnings are distributed. For each casino, the player who bet the most dice (with a strict majority required) takes the top prize. In case of a tie, the winnings go to the player with the next most dice; if all players are tied, the money returns to the deck. If a casino holds multiple bills, the largest goes to the top player, and smaller bills are awarded in descending order to runners-up, with any leftover bills returned to the deck.
After scoring, players retrieve their dice, new money is dealt to the casinos, and the First Player card passes to the next player in turn order. After four rounds, the player with the most money wins. A variant allows the white dice to act as a "phantom" player, with the dice distributed as evenly as possible among real players, who roll and place them alongside their own.
An expansion, Las Vegas Boulevard, came out in 2014 (previously known as Las Vegas Lights and Las Vegas Plus).
Quick Facts
- Title
- Las Vegas
- Italic Title
- yes
- Designer
- Rüdiger Dorn
- Illustrator
- Harald Lieske / Markus Schmuck / Mia Steingräber
- Publisher
- Ravensburger
- Players
- 2–5
- Setup Time
- <1 minute
- Playing Time
- 15-30 minutes
- Skills
- Probability theory
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Las Vegas is a board game for two to five players. It consists of six small boards representing different casinos, a deck of 54 bills in denominations from $10,000 to $90,000, a First Player card, and five sets of eight dice in different colors. The US release in 2017 included a dice pouch. The game is played over four rounds. Each round, casinos are dealt bills totaling at least $50,000. Players take turns throwing all their dice and must place all dice showing a chosen number on a corresponding casino. Betting is mandatory until a player has no dice left. After all dice are placed, the player with the most dice on a casino wins the largest bill; ties go to the next player or the bill returns to the deck. The player with the most money after four rounds wins. A variant uses white dice as a phantom player.
Reader's Guide
Las Vegas gained recognition for its accessible gameplay and blend of luck and strategy, earning a nomination for the 2012 Spiel des Jahres. The jury praised the game's emotional oscillation between winning and failing. Reviewers noted its engagement but criticized scalability at lower player counts. An expansion, Las Vegas Boulevard, released in 2014, added dice in yellow, grey, and purple for up to eight players, oversized dice, a seventh casino board, $100,000 bills, and variant cards for solitaire and other modes. The game remains a notable example of a dice-placement family game with a gambling theme.
Did You Know?
- The game was nominated for the Spiel des Jahres prize in 2012.
- The US release in 2017 included a dice pouch for storing the game dice.
- An expansion titled Las Vegas Boulevard was released in 2014.
- The white dice can be used as a phantom player in a variant.
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