When most people think of Las Vegas casinos, they picture the Strip, with its mega-resorts like Caesars Palace, Bellagio, and MGM Grand. But there’s another side to Sin City that most visitors never see—a collection of small independent casinos that offer a very different gaming experience from their corporate counterparts. These aren’t the flashiest casinos in Vegas (many of them look like they’ve been frozen in time since the 70s or 80s), but they make up for it with a unique charm, reasonable (even generous) comps, and some of the loosest slots and table games in town.
If you’re tired of getting ignored by minimum wage cocktail waitresses who hate their jobs and just want to spend an afternoon where the focus is on fun and relaxation instead of profit, these are the casinos to visit. So without further ado, here are ten of my favorites off the beaten path that every serious gambler should experience at least once.
Just a few minutes drive north of the airport on Paradise Road (before it splits into the Westside Road around Suncoast), you’ll find Hollywood Casino, one of the last true classic Vegas casinos still standing. It’s part of the Boyd Gaming family, which owns several similar properties in town including Cal and Sam’s, Main Street Station, The Orleans, Gold Coast, Suncoast, and Eldorado.
Like its siblings, Hollywood Casino has a loose, unpolished feel with low table game minimums, free beverage service, and a 24/7 race and sports book. It’s also one of the few places left in Vegas where you can smoke (both indoors and outdoors). The slot machines are located on the floor surrounding the perimeter, while table games are situated in the middle—just like old-time saloons.
Things You Need to Know About Bet365 Before Withdrawing FundsThere are no high limit games, but you’ll find $5 blackjack, $3 roulette, and three card poker, Ultimate Texas Hold ‘em, and pai gow. They also have weekly tournaments for various games at minimal cost to enter. The casino bar is shaped like an old fashioned ticking movie reel, and there’s a nice deli serving hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches, soups, salads, and snacks.
Hollywood Casino used to be known as Sunrise Hospital until Boyd Gaming purchased it in 1985 and transformed it into a full-fledged casino. According to legend, operating a casino on the site of a cemetery proved to be bad business, and during its first year, more money went into the casino tables and slots than could be taken out without causing problems, so they simply stopped paying win tickets and hired lawyers to fend off the eventual backlash.
When the bodies began to resurface, it explained why the casino couldn’t seem to sink money. After much legal battling, Boyd Gaming managed to acquire the property, bulldozed the old mausoleums and mortuaries, and built a modern day casino over the remains.
The good news is there’s plenty of action now, day or night. Blackjack, roulette, craps, and carnival games like ring toss run constantly, and there’s a large bingo room with sessions starting every ten minutes or so. If you get hungry from all the winning, the casino grill serves typical greasy spoon fare, and there’s a full bar.
This vintage bowling alley / bar features nine lanes, an eclectic mix of pinball machines, pool tables, dart boards, big screen TVs, and a small casino with video poker, keno, and scratch cards. There’s no food service, but patrons are free to bring their own munchies and adult beverages. If you’re lucky, you might catch a live band or other entertainment.
Live Casino Bonuses You Can Claim in the UK For 2023Located two blocks south of the Stratosphere on Las Vegas Boulevard, the Pioneer Saloon was built in 1877 and is one of the oldest buildings in Southern Nevada. In addition to offering drinks to thirsty miners, cowboys, and assorted ne’er do wells during its early years, the saloon was also a brothel—which probably explains the reputation it gained for being the site of numerous shootouts and murders.
One of these involved a sheriff named Henry Carroll who was gunned down inside by a madam names Mame Lucille Wells, who claimed he had impregnated her and refused to marry her. She was eventually acquitted due to lack of evidence, which no doubt helped inspire her popular brothel catering to long distance truck drivers, which she operated across the street until the 1980s.
Today the Pioneer Saloon is strictly family friendly during the day, when it operates as a working museum, antique store, and tourist trap. But after dark, the casino opens its doors, offering video poker and the like to thirsty gamblers. Be sure to try one of their famous forty-ounce fiberglass beer mugs filled to the brim with your favorite brew.
Although it may look like a typical Honky Tonk from the outside, the Pioneer Saloon is a fully functional casino with a neat little race and sports book attached—complete with teller windows so you can watch the action from your video poker machine. Slot machines line the walls along with a handful of table games staffed by dealers, including blackjack, craps, and roulette.
For serious players, the Pioneer Saloon hosts frequent tournament events that regularly attract large fields looking to win hefty cash prizes. The restaurant serves typical bar food along with hearty breakfasts seven days a week, and there’s always a local cover band jamming on the small stage in the corner. Admission is free, but valet parking will set you back ten bucks.
This tiny casino is tucked away behind the Pioneer Saloon and Sheriff’s Souvenirs store, accessible through a doorway next to the outdoor stage. Once you descend the stairs, you’ll find classic Vegas slot machines in excellent condition, including many that used to reside at the California Hotel & Casino before it closed in 2020.
There’s also video poker and Keno, plus a couple of blackjack tables dealing for $3-$1000. No wonder this place has some of the best blackjack in Vegas! A small space near the entrance houses the sports and race book, which stays open despite the lack of racing during the night. There’s a small bar in the corner, but it doesn’t stay open very late.
One of the last great dive bars in Vegas, the Golden Nugget Tavern is dark and smoky with cheap drinks, pool tables, and the occasional live music act. For decades, it was owned by notorious mobster Tony Spilotro, who met his grisly end in prison. Rumor has it that hidden rooms beneath the bar were used for storing illegally-gained funds and disposing of unfortunate souls who got in the way of his nefarious schemes.
The Cassidy’s version of the place doesn’t feature any of that unsavory stuff—instead, you can play the latest video slots and reel machines, enjoy a cold beer, listen to live music, play pool, watch sports on TV, or just hang out with friends, neighbors, and working girls on their nights off.
If you’ve ever wanted to kick it old school, head downtown to 121 E. Fremont and check out the newest location of Las Vegas’ original casino. Opened in 1943 by LaVerne "Cannonball" Baker and Jack "Mr. Mau-Mau" Leiner, the Oasis was the first modern casino to feature car hop service—a novel concept that influenced Bob Wagner to copy the format two years later when he opened the first True Value store as Sak 'N Save.
The casino changed ownership and locations several times over the years before going bankrupt in 2013. A complete renovation and remodel created a brand new Oasis that harkens back to those halcyon days of yesteryear, featuring classic slot machines, table games, free beverages, and a 30 foot cocktail waitress.
According to their website, the Oasis offers “no stupid guests, no stupid employees, no silly rules,” making it feel like Cheers, only with slots and table games. They even serve complimentary homemade cookies and ice cold air conditioning. Check their website for a current list of happy hour specials, drink and slot club details, special events, and hours of operation, which can change without warning.
When you think of classic Las Vegas casinos, the El Cortez definitely comes to mind. Originally known as the Arizona Hotel & Casino, it was built in 1963 and renamed in 1970. Burglar alarms were invented by owner Art Sommars to help combat the city’s rampant crime problem, and soon Jet Pilot, his nephew, took over day to day operations.
Jake Lemieux bought the casino in 1979, and his son Tony became president in 1984. He moved into the third floor apartment the casino provided for its managers and has seldom been seen since (at least in public). Known affectionately as the Hermit of Hindenberg Lane, Lemieux rarely grants interviews and prefers to let his trusted lieutenants handle the day to day chores running the casino.
El Cortez enjoys a reputation as one of the best places in Vegas to play low limit blackjack, with three shoe deals starting at just $5. They also offer $5 roulette, three card poker, and Spanish 21, plus a high limit room dealing up to $10,000. Pai gow, baccarat, Craps Less Money™, and Big Six wheels round out the selection of table games.
A small bingo room runs constant sessions, and the Race & Sports Book features 50 HDTVs and two massive projection screens showing simulcast action from racetracks and other sports books around the country. Over 100 slot machines from penny to $25 offer triple, double, and single paylines, flat tops, progressive jackpots, and wild card entries into the Club Cortez slot club.
Video poker fans have their choice of hundreds of machines spread throughout the casino, with denominations ranging from one cent to $25. Low limit keno is available both electronically and via print and scan tickets. The casino bar pours frosty beers and classic cocktails, while the more upscale lounge across from the sports book serves top shelf liquor alongside light fare and snacks.
online casino holdemYou can eat in the hotel coffee shop or grab a slice of pizza, while the Ristorante Bartolotta serves fine Italian dining in a relaxed atmosphere. Live music acts appear nightly in the lounge, and the retro style apartment overlooking Fremont Street is available for overnight guests. El Cortez also boasts one of the lowest hotel rates in Vegas—as low as $25 on weekdays and $35 on weekends—and rarely requires a reservation.
What would a list of off the beaten path Las Vegas casinos be without the world famous Liberace Museum? Also known as Atomic Liquor, this watering hole dates back to 1945, when it opened next to the Thrifty Drug Store across from the 51’er Drive Inn Theater, which was one of the largest outdoor movie screens in the country.
Atomic Liquor was famous for its policy of letting customers take alcoholic beverages with them next door to enjoy during the movies—which may or may not have been legal at the time, but certainly helped boost sales. After the theater closed in 1987, the building sat vacant until the Liberace Foundation purchased it and turned it into a museum dedicated to showcasing costumes, cars, and various memorabilia belonging to the flamboyant pianist.
Liberace was known for his over the top performances and extravagant costumes dripping with jewelry and sequins. His flair for drama and love of bling would have fit right in with many of the classic Las Vegas casinos that lined the Strip in its early days. Sadly, the museum closed in 2017, but the bar lives on, offering a large selection of microbrews, cocktails, and specialty drinks, along with classic bar food.
Be sure to check out the restrooms, which feature original Liberace costumes on display behind glass panels above the urinals and stalls.
Sleazy bars, strip clubs, and seedy casinos--what more could you ask for? If you've ever wanted to relive the glory days of old Vegas, start your trip down hindenberg lane with a stop at the Las Vegas Club, one block south of Fremont Street.
Once the largest casino in town, the Las Vegas Club was forced to cede that crown to flashier, better financed rivals after being gutted by fire in 1978 and again after the opening of the enormous Frontier on the Strip in 1942. It survived the arrival of the Fremont Street Experience canopy in 1995, but closed in 2007 after Shuffle Master bought the property and kicked everyone to the curb.
Thankfully, the Las Vegas Club was reopened under new management in 2018, preserving the look and feel of classic Vegas casinos while updating the facilities with modern amenities like air conditioning and fresh paint. You’ll find a mix of older slot and new video machines scattered about the old girl, along with classic table games, a race and sports book, and a modest collection of classic video poker machines.
If you need a break from gambling, you can visit the Old Las Vegas Sign across the street or hit the Peepshow next door, featuring gorgeous dancers performing uncensored routines every evening except Monday. The bar serves up frosty beers and well drinks, or you can step next door into the famous Glitter Grotto, which claims to be the largest strip club in the Western Hemisphere.
Just a short walk west on Las Vegas Boulevard brings you to the Plaza Hotel & Casino, another classic Las Vegas property that has seen better days. For many years, it was the tallest building in the state and offered panoramic views from its observatory on the 10th floor, but that burned down in 1996, taking antique slot machines and classic carousel with open air horses along with it.
Despite losing its observation deck, the Plaza rebounded to offer some of the loosest slots and table games in town, along with a full service race and sports book, keno, and bingo. The casino spans multiple levels connected by elevators and escalators, with a classic interior design that harks back to the heyday of old Vegas.
Slot machines line the floors surrounding the main gaming area, where you’ll find blackjack, craps, roulette, three card poker, and Spanish 21. There’s also a high limit room dealing up to $10,000 and a poker room spreading No Limit and Limit Hold ‘em and Omaha in daily tournaments and cash games.
The fourth floor of the casino houses the VIP slot lounge, while golf enthusiasts will want to check out the simulator bays that allow you to work on your swing year-round. The Arcade Casino offers nickel and quarter slot machines, while the Bingo Hall features session continuously throughout the day and night.
harrahs casino promotion codeThe LaSalle Event Center hosts concerts, comedy shows, and other events, while the newly renovated Rendezvous Lounge serves up craft cocktails and light bites. Enjoy rooftop pool dining at the Terrace Restaurant & Bar, or stop by the 24 hour deli for sandwiches, salads, and soups. The hotel itself offers affordable rooms with great views, and garage parking is available across the street for a nominal fee.
If you prefer the quieter ambiance of old Las Vegas casinos to the bedazzled chaos of the Strip, these ten independent casinos are a great place to start your journey back in time. Each has its own unique character and charm, along with reasonably priced comps and promotions. The people are friendly, the crowds are thin, and the action is loose—just the way gambling should be.
You can find more unusual casinos to visit in Peter Chichibaba’s article Weird Las Vegas Casinos, which includes the Hooters Casino Hotel, Honorable mention goes to the Stratosphere Tower, which sits all by its lonesome at the northern end of the Strip, and the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center, which occasionally pops up as a temporary casino during special events.
Have you played at any of these casinos, or know of one I missed? Then be sure to drop a comment below and let us know!
Mark Reilly is a writer for GamblingSites.com, specializing in strategy articles and researching the latest sign-up bonuses at online poker sites.
He started playing poker and doing serious studying in 2005, shortly after graduating from college with a major in English. Mark has participated in dozens of online and live freerolls, using nothing more than the knowledge gained from reading pulse-pounding tome
