Inspired by the true story of the Moulin Rouge, the first integrated casino in Las Vegas, which opened to huge success in 1955, but closed only 6 months later due to bankruptcy. Dee Dee Jasmin, a dancer at the casino, contributed historical background information that enhanced the atmosphere, characterizations and details. The poker player with a goatee is George Schlatter, who booked and managed talent including Sammy Davis, Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra at Strip hotels in the 1950s before creating Laugh-In on TV in the 1960s.
Daniel Holstein, the real life LVMPD criminalist on which Grissom's character is loosely based, is a participant (holding the dealer button) in the poker game that Grissom joins to talk to Sheriff Montgomery.
Holt McCallany, who plays Mr. Westerman in this episode, also plays detective John Hagen in CSI: Miami (11 episodes) a few years prior to airing of this episode.
If Swamy's Deaver looks familiar it may be because he also starred as Adam Gilford in season 6 episode 3 (the staircase episode) of this show.