Nine voting stations were set up at hotels and casinos along the neon-lit Las Vegas strip in an effort to encourage shift workers at 24-hour gambling dens to play their part in choosing the Democratic election candidate.

At the Wynn Las Vegas casino resort, a procession of chambermaids in aprons, cocktail waitresses in black, figure-hugging bodices and nightclub hosts in Dolce and Gabbana shades filed down a floral-carpeted hallway to vote. The action took place in a noisy, mammoth ballroom with cavernous peach ceilings and a stage with royal-purple curtains where, shortly after noon, the voters divide into Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton camps.

"I don't want to say it's embarrassing, because I'm here, but I do see why people would think it's strange that we are voting in a casino," said Tiffany Romero, 31, a barrista at the nearby Las Vegas Hilton.

The resorts that hosted the precincts -- which included the pyramid-shaped Luxor and the French-themed Paris Las Vegas, famous for its replica of the Eiffel Tower -- made it as easy as possible for their workers to participate. Many instructed department heads to do what they could to accommodate the schedules of employees who had asked to go vote.

At the Wynn, a buffet lunch was offered to employees in a nearby ballroom complete with shrimp sandwiches, salad and chocolate chip cookies.

Similar arrangements were made at other resorts.

"We thought it was a terrific opportunity to allow the employees to participate," said Alan Feldman, senior vice president for MGM Mirage, which owns four of the resorts with caucus sites.

"We did have to put limits on it, though. If every single server in the buffet all said they wanted to go, clearly you'd have to say no to someone.

"On the other hand, if most of the engineering department wanted to go, we could probably handle that for an hour." Casino or not, hard-core politics were clearly at play.

Outside the caucus ballroom, porter Aquiles Ramirez, 60, expressed his support for Clinton, bucking the endorsement of Obama issued by his union, the 60,000-member Culinary Workers Local.

"I do believe that she has the best view for the country and that she has the best background to help us," said Ramirez, who migrated legally from Mexico in 1979 and believes illegal residents should be deported.

Some found the caucus process, new to most Nevadans, to be awkward.

"Never in my whole life ever until this very moment have I discussed my political opinions publicly," said Paul Bartalotta.

As caucus time approached, about 400 participants filed into the Lafite Ballroom and started sifting into Clinton and Obama camps, with the sides chanting for their candidates and trying to drown out opposition cheers.

Once the meeting began, it took about 20 minutes for the groups to separate as instructed and be counted.

Clinton won the precinct 189-187, the closest tally of any at-large caucus. She took seven of the nine.

One participant who aimed to be as inconspicuous as possible was Elaine Wynn, the wife of the casino magnate whose name graces the resort and member of the board of directors of Wynn Resorts.

Elaine Wynn is a strong and vocal supporter of Obama, who had been staying at the resort on nights when he campaigned here over the past week.

Yet on caucus day, Wynn showed up in a black baseball cap, black turtletop and grey slacks and stood on the periphery of the Obama group so as to avoid notice.

"I'm excited, but like a lot of other people, I'm cautious, confused and unsure about the efficacy of the caucus-style method of showing preferences," Wynn said. "I think everybody came in here with their minds made up, so there wasn't really a caucus in the sense that people listen and debate the candidates."

Chambermaid Delores Ramirez, 43, supported Obama but wasn't too upset that he had lost.