Local Casinos In Las Vegas
The traditional Las Vegas get-away usually consists of a stay at a casino-resort, a big-budget show, and evenings of table games.
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Nowadays, though, many casinos on the Las Vegas Strip are charging for parking. But, thankfully, some Vegas casinos still offer free parking to locals and free parking to guests and tourists. If you want to see where you can park for free in Vegas.
But like all cities, Las Vegas has hidden gems and unique activities that appeal to local residents.
- Park MGM is the only smoke-free casino/hotel in Vegas. What counts as a casino To make it on this list, a casino must: (1) have table games (e.g., not Longhorn).
- A Review on Bella Vegas Casino. February 26, 2021. Vegas Crest Launches the Biggest Monthly Bingo Event. February 26, 2021. Las Vegas to Gets its First-Ever Non-Gambling.
Whether this is your 12th trip to Vegas or you’re looking for a low-key adventure, doing as the locals do is always a good maxim to follow.
Interestingly what passes for ‘touristy’ elsewhere can seem non-conventional in Las Vegas. Here are seven non-touristy things to do in Las Vegas.
1 – Stay Local
With the advent of the internet age, local residents across the country rent out their homes through online vacation marketplaces. The average stay for a Las Vegas trip is a casino-resort. Since you’re looking for a non-traditional Vegas experience, why not stay in a comfortable neighborhood setting.
Like most cities hosting on vacation marketplaces, Las Vegas has homes that range from illustrious to more frugal accommodations. Sites such as AirBnB and Turnkey provide ratings for locations and areas to give you an idea of what to expect. Neighborhood guides can be found online for vacationers curious about the area of Vegas they choose to stay in.
If you were looking for a more curated stay, sites such as Homestay provide accommodations with a completely hosted experience. Much like a traditional bed and breakfast, a hosted experience includes interactions with local residents as part of the appeal.
2 – Eat Local
There are many great resort-specific and chain restaurants across Las Vegas casinos. During an average resort stay, guests don’t have to leave their hotel to experience a variety of dining options. Everything from affordable to 5-star dining can be found in Las Vegas casinos.
Of course, there are numerous dining guides for your online perusal. Choose one with an emphasis on local and farm-to-table options for the most non-touristy experience.
3 – Shop Local
Las Vegas resorts are known for having higher-end retailers of apparel and accessories. Modern casinos have become shopping destinations in themselves. But what type of shops do locals own and what type of crafts are local artisans producing?
Visiting small businesses is a great way to see what the people of Las Vegas are like. Instead of visiting a large salon at a resort spa try visiting a local boutique. The result can often be more affordable and colorful.
Purchasing local folk art may seem commonplace elsewhere but not in Vegas. At Las Vegas resorts, art can be purchased at upscale galleries for thousands of dollars and collectable items can be bought at casino gift shops. Find a local artisan, visit local galleries, and purchase a unique work of art.
4 – Visit Old Downtown
Although still a destination for tourists and visitors, Downtown Las Vegas is frequented by locals for its approachability and affordability. Lacking the modern veneer of the Strip, Downtown hosts many casinos and resorts highlighting the Las Vegas of yesterday.
Visit Fremont Street classics like Binion’s, Golden Nugget, and the aptly named The Fremont Hotel & Casino. Accommodations have been updated over the years, but the lights and lobbies maintain a nostalgic feel on old-Vegas.
Downtown is also the destination for gamblers on a budget or if gambling is secondary to your adventure. Lower cost table games and slot machines can be more approachable to travelers. Fremont Street is also home to 24-hour meal deals and classic Vegas-style buffets.
5 – Golden Gate Casino and Hotel
Like most major cities, Vegas has many historical buildings and landmarks. Las Vegas has homes and businesses on the National Registry of Historic Places. Make a day out of visiting the many landmarks and historical markers of Las Vegas.
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Aside from the history of the property, the Golden Gate Hotel & Casino was known for decades for their shrimp cocktails. It was estimated that before 1991 the casino lost over $300,000 a year on the discounted attraction. For those who are wondering, the current price of the small salad shrimp served in a sundae glass hovers around $3.99.
6 – Lakes and National Parks
Only 24 miles from Las Vegas is Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Also known as Lake Mohave, Lake Mead stretches into Arizona and is the largest reservoir in the United States. One of the best free attractions near the city is the colossal Hoover Dam.
Fun fact, a Boeing B-29 Superfortress is on the National Register of Historic Places after crashing and sinking to the bottom of Lake Mead in 1948.
Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is located 15 miles from Las Vegas. The park is known for its large red sandstone formations. Red Rock is a popular destination for mountain climbers and hikers.
Valley of Fire State Park is a popular destination for campers located 50 miles from Las Vegas. The site contains many examples of Anasazi petroglyphs and is a recognizable shooting location for many films. It’s a little further than Red Rock and Lake Mead but definitely worth the trip.
7 – Local Events and Attractions
Las Vegas is known as a convention destination for professionals across the country. With all the event space its no wonder Vegas has festivals and attractions year-round. If a particular event doesn’t bring you to Sin City you can find many online lists of festivals and their schedules.
The Electric Daisy Carnival held in Las Vegas is the largest electronic music festival outside of Europe. The event draws international acts and has been held over three days at Las Vegas Motor Speedway since 2011. The festival is known for its incredible visual displays, interactive art pieces, and 24-hour music.
For listings of many smaller festivals and events in the area I find that local news sites can act as a good guide. Also, follow the official social media pages of cities and event spaces to have listings sent directly to you.
Conclusion
So, do you feel like a local yet? Take a break from the standard Vegas vacation and do something decidedly non-touristy. What passes for a tourist activity in other parts of the country can be somewhat unconventional in Las Vegas.
One thing is for certain, there are plenty unique attractions in Vegas besides the traditional resort stay and gambling excursions. Like any modern vacation destination, Las Vegas has something everybody. Think outside the box to see a different side of Las Vegas most tourists don’t get to experience.
The area that would become Las Vegas was first settled in 1905 and from the start gambling was part of the city’s fabric. Unfortunately, gambling was outlawed for several decades and the oldest casino on this list had to stop their gaming activities for a time.
Many of the other casinos on this list have also not been in continuous operation as they’ve undergone major renovations and ownership changes. However, these are still technically the oldest casinos in Las Vegas.
11. Harrah’s Las Vegas
Harrah’s Las Vegas was originally called the Holiday Casino when it opened in 1973 until 1992. The Holiday Casino was small, had a riverboat theme, and was built in front of the Holiday Inn Las Vegas Center Strip. Following years of renovations after a change in ownership, Harrah’s Las Vegas reopened with a Mardi Gras and Carnival theme. It is the Caesars Entertainment (formerly Harrah’s Entertainment) flagship property as there are many other Harrah’s hotels around the country.
Did You Know?
Harrah’s Las Vegas has a fairly large gaming space at 91,833 sq ft (8,531.6 m²) and contains over 1,200 slot machines.
10. The LINQ Hotel & Casino
The LINQ Hotel & Casino was opened as the Flamingo Capri motel in 1959. The motel was named after the larger Flamingo Hotel and Casino and the Flamingo Capri was technically part of the original Flamingo’s property. The casino was not added until 1972 and a few years later, the property was turned into the Asian-themed Imperial Palace Hotel and Casino. In 2012, the Imperial Palace was turned into The Quad Resort and Casino. It was renamed again two years later to the LINQ Hotel & Casino.
Did You Know?
The LINQ Hotel & Casino is home to the 550-foot-tall High Roller, The World’s Tallest Observation Wheel.
9. Circus Circus Las Vegas
Unlike most of the other casinos on this list, which didn’t add gambling spaces until later, Circus Circus was only a casino before a hotel was added. While this was a unique idea, Circus Circus faced financial problems from the beginning because there were no rooms available to attract high rollers.
A hotel was eventually added to the the casino, but Circus Circus owner Jay Sarno borrowed the money from the Teamsters Pension Fund. This led the government to investigate Circus Circus and Sarno ended up selling the casino a few years later.
Did You Know?
Circus Circus is the largest permanent big top (circus tent) in the world.
8. Caesars Palace
Best Local Casinos In Las Vegas For Gambling
photo source: Wikimedia CommonsCaesars Palace was established in 1966 by Jay Sarno, who sought to create an opulent facility that gave guests a sense of life during the Roman Empire. It is one of the largest and most recognized landmark in Las Vegas. The actual casino portion of Caesars Palace is significantly larger than most other casinos, clocking in at a massive 24,181 square feet (11,536.8 square meters). From the very beginning, Caesars Palace has attracted high rollers from around the world.
Did You Know?
The reason Caesars Palace doesn’t have an apostrophe in its name is because the purpose of the of the palace was to ensure an atmosphere in which everybody staying at the hotel would feel like a “Caesar.”
7. Planet Hollywood Las Vegas
Although Planet Hollywood Las Vegas opened in 2000, its on the site of the previous Aladdin hotel and casino, which traces its history to 1962. Initially, the Aladdin was only a hotel called the Tallyho, which tried to add a casino in 1963. However, there were a lot of issues with licensing and a casino was not opened on the property until Milton Prell bought the hotel in 1966. The building was heavily renovated and received an Arabian Nights theme.
The Aladdin closed in 1997 and was demolished to make room for the new Aladdin. The name of the hotel and casino was changed to Planet Hollywood in 2007.
Did You Know?
The first skill-based gambling machines, from Gamblit Gaming, in Las Vegas were installed at Planet Hollywood Las Vegas in March 2017.
6. Tropicana Las Vegas
Tropicana Las Vegas was built in 1957 by Ben Jaffe, an executive of the Fontainebleau Miami Beach. Jaffe set out to build the finest hotel in Las Vegas and settled on a Cuban-inspired theme for his new resort. In the late 1970s, the Tropicana was the unfortunate target of a mob skimming operation. The Kansas City crime family, aka the Civella crime family, siphoned money from the cashier cage through Joe Agosto, the owner of the Tropicana’s Folies Bergere show.
Did You Know?
The Tropicana – Las Vegas Boulevard intersection, has the most hotel rooms of any intersection in the world and pedestrians are not allowed to cross at street level. Instead, the Tropicana is linked by overhead pedestrian bridges to its neighboring casinos.
5. Sahara Las Vegas
Although the Sahara Las Vegas was opened over 67 years ago, the casino and hotel has not been in continuous operation. The Sahara was closed in 2011 after it became unprofitable and was not re-opened until 2004. The building was completely renovated and all of the Sahara’s original Moroccan themed décor was removed.
The hotel and casino was also renamed to SLS Las Vegas as part of SBE’s chain of SLS hotels. However, after the the Meruelo Group purchased the SLS Las Vegas, they decided to change the name back to Sahara Las Vegas. While the new Sahara has a modern look, it does make minor references to the old Moroccan theme.
Did You Know?
The Sahara Las Vegas has been home to many notable performers, including Marlene Dietrich, Tony Bennett, Sonny and Cher, Johnny Carson, Liberace, Sammy Davis Jr., Judy Garland, and many more.
4. Flamingo Las Vegas
Flamingo Las Vegas was opened as The Fabulous Flamingo in 1946. The hotel and casino was the third resort built on the Las Vegas Strip and is now the oldest remaining establishment on the Strip. Like many old Vegas casinos, the Flamingo has ties to the American mafia. Famous mobster Bugsy Bugsy Siegel and his partners took over the final phases of construction of the Flamingo and invested a significant amount of money to open the hotel and casino.
After Siegel’s death, Moe Sedway and Gus Greenbaum, magnates of the nearby El Cortez Hotel, took possession of the Flamingo. Ownership of the Flamingo has changed many times since then.
Did You Know?
Allegedly, Bugsy Siegel named The Flamingo after after his girlfriend, Virginia Hill, who loved to gamble and was nicknamed “Flamingo” because of her long, skinny legs.
3. Golden Nugget Las Vegas
Golden Nugget Las Vegas, commonly called by its original name The Golden Nugget, has been in operation since 1946. The hotel and casino is an iconic part of Las Vegas’ Fremont Street Experience. Over the years, various prominent Las Vegas hotel/casino owners have had part ownership in the Golden Nugget, such as Jackie Gaughan (long-time owner of the El Cortez) and Steve Wynn early on in his career.
Did You Know?
Fox television series, The Casino, is based on Poster Financial Group, who purchased Golden Nugget Las Vegas in 2003 and upgraded the gambling operation by installing new cashless slot machines and by increasing the maximum bet available at table games to $15,000.
2. El Cortez
Opened since 1941 as both a hotel and casino, the El Cortez is the oldest continuously existing casino in Las Vegas. El Cortez was built by Marion Hicks and J.C. Grayson as the first major resort in downtown Las Vegas. The casino has been in continuous operation for over 77 years and is one of the only casinos to have never changed its exterior façade; the original ranch-themed architecture remained even when the signage was modernized in 1952.
Did You Know?
Although many people thought that the El Cortez was too far from the main downtown area, but the casino became so profitable that it was purchased by famous mobsters Bugsy Siegel, Meyer Lansky, Gus Greenbaum, and Moe Sedway for $600,000.
1. Golden Gate Hotel and Casino
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photo source: Wikimedia Commons via ToohoolThere is some argument over whether or not the Golden Gate Hotel and Casino is older than the El Cortez and many people do cite Golden Gate as older. This is because the Golden Gate Hotel and Casino was built in 1906 and despite some misinformation, the hotel did operate a casino for its first few years. However, gambling did become illegal in Las Vegas in 1909, so the Golden Gate ceased casino operations. After gambling was reinstated in 1931, Golden Gate resumed gambling activities, making the Golden Gate Hotel and Casino the oldest casino in Las Vegas.
Did You Know?
As the oldest hotel and casino in Las Vegas, the Golden Gate Hotel and Casino set many firsts, including being the first lodging establishment in the city to receive plumbing and having the first telephone/number in Las Vegas.