According to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, there are several explanations for how the city of Brisbane, Queensland got the name Bris Vegas (or Brisvegas). In general, it is a tongue-in-cheek nickname given to Brisbane based on an ironic comparison to the gambling capital of Las Vegas in the USA. The Bris Vegas nickname is usually a term used by out-of-town visitors on Brisbane's (perceived) small-town tackiness.

The name Bris Vegas is believed to have been coined in the early 1990s as an ironic response by journalists in the larger Australian cities of Sydney and Melbourne to the Brisbane city administration's attempts to attract business and tourists to Brisbane by presenting it as an exciting destination (Brisbane has traditionally been perceived as dull in the context of Australian and regional domestic tourism with a less-than-perfect nightlife and limited things of interest to do).

Though it is still used in this sense, more recently, the term has been adopted (along with the similar Brisneyland, from Disneyland) by Brisbanites as a term of affection for Brisbane as it continues to grow in urban sophistication. Also according to Wikipedia, the term Brisvegas first appeared in print in "Time Off" Magazine - a Brisbane Street Press publication in the early 90's. The Editor of the publication used the term after hearing his partner and her friend use it. It is believed that in the late 1980's the girls were studying at the university in Toowoomba (a town an hours drive west of Brisbane). They used to travel to Brisbane on weekends to escape what was considered a boring, uneventful country town. Driving to bBrisbane they would play the Elvis Presley song 'Viva Las Vegas', substituting 'Las' for 'Bris'. It was several years until the term became popular, with  several cover-bands adopting the substitute lyrics in their gigs in Toowoomba and Brisbane.

It is also believed that the term was possibly a response to the then commonly used slang name for the Central Queensland city of Rockhampton, which was frequently called 'Rockvegas' by younger inhabitants after the city in the Flintstones animated series. Some also believe that the term Bris Vegas was coined when Jupiter's casino was built in the heart of Brisbane, thus being a reflection of the casino-heavy city of Las Vegas.

Regardless of it's origins, the term "Bris Vegas" seems to have stuck and whilst it is seen as offensive by some locals, most of us Brisbanites would agree that it is more a reflection of our sense of humour and the many opportunities to have fun and feel like a winner given our choice to live here in the Lifestyle City of Brisbane, Queensland. I for one believe that we've hit the jackpot!