Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(US) the gambling town of Las Vegas, Nevada.

1946		E. Wilson It Happened Last Night 31 Jan. [synd. col.] Joe Frisco’s [...] shooting his pay away. So he pronounces Las Vegas, Nev., ‘Lost Wages, Nevada’.
1953		E. Wilson Look Who’s Abroad Now 22: The streets of ‘Lost Wages,’ Nevada, are not like the streets of any other American city today.
1959		L. Bruce ‘The Palladium’ [stand-up script] Howdy folks, I just got back from Lost Wages, Nevada. Funny thing about Lost Wages, folks....
2000		P. Earley Super Casino 34: Has there ever been another destination like Las Vegas? [...] Call it what you will: Lost Wages, Pair-o-Dice, Never-Never Land.