In 1934 the 'Casino da Urca' became the biggest performance theatre in South America, offering a decadent fusion of gambling, theatre, cabaret, music and dance. Following the re-legalization of gambling in 1930 hundreds of casinos, from sophisticated establishments to rough-and-ready joints, emerged to accommodate the tastes and incomes of the population. In 1946 gambling was prohibited across the country, drawing a close to casino culture in Rio de Janeiro and Brazil.

In the 1990s Lapa went through a series of urban reforms, altering its somewhat transgressive image and giving it a new wave of cultural effervescence. The district has therefore gone full circle, re-emerging as cultural cornerstone of the city by night.