Pawn Stars Among the Biggest New Vegas Attractions

Ever since Gambling911.com's Thomas Somach wrote about the series back in January, Pawn Stars has consistently ranked among the most trending search queries leading to the Gambling911 website.  It is after all among the highest rated cable television programs.  Last week over 6 million people tuned in.

"Somach's article ranks among the most trafficked for the year thus far," observes Gambling911 Senior Editor Payton O'Brien.  "There is no shortage of people coming to read about the show."

The Gambling911.com website regularly covers television shows that can be bet on such as American Idol and even the season finale of Lost.  While there are no published odds on Pawn Stars (maybe there should be), the show's Vegas element fits in perfectly with the G911 experience. 

Now Pawn Stars has become one of Las Vegas' leading tourist attractions. 

"I can't stop at a gas station without someone wanting to take my picture," Corey "Big Hoss" Harrison, the 27-year-old general manager of Gold & Silver Pawn Shop, told the New York Post.

"A year ago," Harrison tells The Post, "we had a staff of 13. Today, we employ 43."

And business at the shop has tripled.

The Post also reports that, though the pawn shop is in an uninviting area of downtown Las Vegas, just a couple blocks north of Main Street and Charleston Boulevard in an area dotted with seedy adult video stores and bail bond businesses, that hasn't stopped the show's faithful from coming by the busloads every day to visit the pawn shop, which is open until 8 p.m. -- and has a 24-hour window for late-night business.

"We took The Deuce [a double-decker tour bus] here to the pawn shop from our hotel," said 30-year-old Josh Jones who, with his wife Kristin, traveled from New Washington, Ohio to visit Gold & Silver. "We wouldn't miss coming here for anything.

"I've seen all the shows," Josh says. "It's wonderful being here and seeing all this great stuff, but I'd really like to see Chumlee. Some people think he's dumb, but I think he's neat -- and I just want to give him a hug."

Jordan Bach, Gambling911.com