Las Venturas (3D Universe)

Las Venturas, San Andreas is the third and final fictional city the player meets in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. It is based on Las Vegas, Nevada, and like its real-life counterpart, Las Venturas is a gambling city located in a desert region, with casinos such as The Camel's Toe and Caligula's Palace. Everything you can buy in Las Venturas is 20% more expensive than in Los Santos or San Fierro. Las Venturas translates to 'The Fortunes', whilst Las Vegas translates to "The Meadows" or "The Grasslands".

The city is also notable for its freeway system. The Julius Thruway is a freeway that circles the whole city. Freeways from both Los Santos and San Fierro intersect with it. Another freeway is the Harry Gold Parkway, which runs through the middle of the city and intersects twice with the Julius Thruway and then leads to Los Santos (though it is not officially the Harry Gold Parkway once it leaves the city limits). Las Venturas is home to the famous baseball team, the Las Venturas Bandits, and Greenglass College. The city is also home to Mafia families. Initially, there were three families: the Leone Family, the Forelli Family and the Sindacco Family.

Storyline
After completing dangerous missions in the deserts of San Andreas for Mike Toreno in exchange for his brother Sweet's freedom, Carl Johnson discovers that Toreno has vanished, not fulfilling his end of the bargain. However, after helping The Truth steal secret items from the government, Carl gets a phone call from the blind Triad leader Wu Zi Mu, whom Carl worked with in San Fierro. Wu Zi Mu has opened a casino called "The Four Dragons Casino" in Las Venturas, and he offers Carl part ownership in exchange for defending it, since Las Venturas is a Mafia-controlled town.

After stopping the sabotage efforts of the Forelli Family and Sindacco Family, who have part ownership of Caligula's Palace Casino, with the Leone Family, Carl and Wu Zi Mu plan to strike back by pulling off a heist on Caligula's. Carl eventually meets Kent Paul and Maccer, a member of the Gurning Chimps. Paul knows Ken Rosenberg, who is currently the manager of Caligula's.

After helping Rosenberg out with his problems, Salvatore Leone himself arrives from Liberty City to take total control of Caligula's. Carl capitalizes on his relationship with Rosenberg to earn Salvatore's trust, and after performing numerous hits for him, is ready to begin the heist. When the heist team successfully robs Caligula's, Salvatore swears revenge against Carl.

In a different tempo, Carl also does a task once again for C.R.A.S.H., which is to retrieve a dossier for Frank Tenpenny. After some time, C.R.A.S.H. and Carl meet up in Las Brujas, near El Castillo del Diablo in Bone County, to give Tenpenny the dossier. In this event, Tenpenny knocks out fellow C.R.A.S.H. member Jimmy Hernandez with a shovel, since he was going to turn in evidence against Tenpenny. Later on, Eddie Pulaski also gets killed, but this time by Carl.

Soon after this, CJ saves the life of disgraced rapper Madd Dogg from committing suicide. and becomes his new manager. However, Madd Dogg wants to return to Los Santos to reclaim his mansion from a drug dealer named Big Poppa. The story then leaves Las Venturas.

Casinos
Most Las Venturas casinos are modeled after real-life locations in Las Vegas. Curiously, counterparts to some noteworthy Las Vegas casinos which existed in 1992 (when the game takes place), but were later demolished, do not appear in Las Venturas - these include the Dunes Hotel and the Sands Hotel. Also, the Luxor Hotel and Treasure Island Hotel and Casino had yet to be built.

Three casinos, namely the Four Dragons Casino, Caligula's Palace, and Casino Floor, can be entered by Carl Johnson. Inside you will find dealers and casino games along with many pedestrians. These pedestrians will be found ordering drinks, playing the table games (accept Wheel of Fortune), standing in front of the slot machines, and making comments regarding the drinks they are ordering, about the table games they play, and about Carl Johnson's appearance. Casinos in Las Venturas include (real-life counterparts in Las Vegas):


 * Four Dragons Casino (Imperial Palace)
 * The Pink Swan (Flamingo)
 * The High Roller (Bally's)
 * Pirates In Men's Pants (Treasure Island)
 * The Visage (The Mirage)
 * The Emerald Isle (Fitzgeralds)
 * The Starfish Casino (Bill's Gamblin Hall and Saloon)
 * The Clown's Pocket (Circus Circus)
 * Caligula's Palace (Ceasar's Palace)
 * Royale Casino (Casino Royale)
 * The Camel's Toe (Luxor)
 * Come-A-Lot (Excalibur)
 * The V-Rock Hotel (Hard Rock)

Landmarks
Las Venturas has references to famous landmarks including:
 * Las Vegas Welcome Sign
 * Bonanza gift shop
 * Vegas Vic and Sassy Sally
 * Little Chapel of the Flowers
 * Graceland Chapel
 * La Concha
 * Barbary Coast Hotel and Casino



Districts

 * Blackfield
 * Creek
 * Linden Side
 * LVA Freight Depot
 * Old Venturas Strip
 * Pilgrim
 * Prickle Pine
 * Redsands East
 * Redsands West
 * Roca Escalante
 * Rockshore East
 * Rockshore West
 * Spinybed
 * Whitewood Estates



Other Notable Places

 * Blackfield Chapel
 * Blackfield Stadium
 * Greenglass College
 * K.A.C.C. Military Fuels
 * Las Venturas Airport
 * Las Venturas Bandits Stadium
 * Last Dime Motel
 * Linden Station
 * Randolph Industrial Estate
 * Yellow Bell Golf Course
 * Yellow Bell Station

Roads and Intersections

 * Blackfield Intersection
 * Harry Gold Parkway
 * Julius Thruway
 * Pilson Intersection
 * The Strip

Old Las Venturas
The casinos in the Old Venturas Strip district have no names, but are modeled after the largest casinos in downtown Las Vegas: Binion's Horseshoe, Golden Nugget Las Vegas, Fremont Hotel and Casino, and The Four Queens Hotel and Casino.

Trivia

 * Behind the Clown's Pocket Casino, a large pink dome is under construction. The pink Adventuredome behind the Circus Circus Casino in Las Vegas was also under construction in 1992.


 * Las Venturas is the only city with no Street Gangs roaming the city


 * In Grand Theft Auto IV there a lot of references to Las Venturas (in television, radio, etc.)