Las Vegas is betting on sports. The Tropicana hotel, home of the showgirls, is a victim of the new era

The Tropicana has been synonymous with old-world Las Vegas glamour for nearly seven decades – but the legendary landmark has now closed its doors to make way for a $1.5 billion baseball stadium. As historians scramble to preserve the Tropicana’s colourful past, the site’s sporting future exemplifies the city’s ever-changing identity, writes Sheila Flynn