The shabbiest casino in Vegas

My vote goes to a tiny casino called Poker Palace in the far reaches of North Las Vegas. I popped in once while on a coupon run, and it didn't take me long to pop out. The walls and ceiling sag with age. The carpet has seen better decades. The patrons looked and acted rough. Most alarmingly, the cashier was enclosed in what appeared to be bullet-proof glass, like an attendant in the NYC subway.

The frontrunner for the "shabbiest casino" award used to be the Gold Spike, which attracted a lot of winos and street people. It has since been nicely remodeled, but the crowd there still looks a little worse for the wear.


Anyone else have a nomination for my award?

all i remember about this place was i thought it was a lot bigger than it was until i realized half the casino was just a reflection in the mirror.

``On a stretch of despair that tourists in Las Vegas seldom see, the Western Hotel-Casino stands out as a beacon for the broke and nearly broken.

"With their crumpled dollars and gloomy gait, they stumble in off Fremont Street through the wide, doorless entrance, beckoned by the sounds of penny slot machines and cheap table games.

"The Western is a poor man's dream, a downtown casino where sad Las Vegas cliches collide.

"There is no uniformed valet parking Porsches here. Instead they come on foot, in beat-up cars and wobbly bicycles. For many, it's been a short journey to the Western.

"The boxy structure is planted among a slew of low-income houses and budget motels. The Western feeds from one of the city's bleakest ZIP codes, stained by high poverty and unemployment rates.

"Inside they gamble, pouring nickels and quarters down the throats of always hungry machines.

It will appeal to the Hemmingway in you.

Quote: pacomartin

``On a stretch of despair that tourists in Las Vegas seldom see, the Western Hotel-Casino stands out as a beacon for the broke and nearly broken.

"With their crumpled dollars and gloomy gait, they stumble in off Fremont Street through the wide, doorless entrance, beckoned by the sounds of penny slot machines and cheap table games.

"The Western is a poor man's dream, a downtown casino where sad Las Vegas cliches collide.

"There is no uniformed valet parking Porsches here. Instead they come on foot, in beat-up cars and wobbly bicycles. For many, it's been a short journey to the Western.

"The boxy structure is planted among a slew of low-income houses and budget motels. The Western feeds from one of the city's bleakest ZIP codes, stained by high poverty and unemployment rates.

"Inside they gamble, pouring nickels and quarters down the throats of always hungry machines.

It will appeal to the Hemmingway in you.

even their website isnt much to look at.

http://westernhotelcasino.com/

Western has very few customers that know how to use a computer.

I'm surprised the Western even has a website. That's a pretty snazzy logo.

My vote would have to be for the Western, although that's almost too easy. Poker Palace is a close second, but there at least is some shabby charm there. Last time I was there the dealers were wearing tie-dye shirts, and the cafe there is great with good service and food and friendly waitresses. The Western is not the least bit charming.

The 'horn casinos, Longhorn and Bighorn, should not be left out of the discussion.

I wonder how many people have been to Siegel Slots and Suites on the corner of Craig and Nellis. Last time I was there I felt like I was in David Lynch film. A weird Asian guy working the promotions desk gave me a one gallon jug of Hawaiian Punch after earning 200 slot club points.

Unfortunately, within a few more years the Plaza and Vegas Club may be eligible for this title.

Wild Wild West deserves a mention as the best candidate for the Vegas strip.

From the Sunday Times Rich List in the United Kingdom.
When David Cameron stood for the Conservative party leadership last year, Zabludowicz, 54, donated GBP15,000 to his campaign. Zabludowicz holds a Finnish passport but lives and works in London. His father Shlomo built the family business around Soltam, an Israeli defence contactor. The family has diversified into property and hotels. Zabludowicz owns 40% of downtown Las Vegas including half a dozen casinos. He is easily worth GBP2 billion.

Actually 2 of those 6 are completely shut down. The other 4 are Western, Plaza, Las Vegas Club, and Gold Spike (before he sold it to Siegal). If Poju's net worth is GBP2 billion then his Vegas holdings must represent about 1% of his net worth.

I mean Poju is worth about 6 times as much as the British Queen. I wonder if he has ever been in the Western?


Also Silver Saddle Saloon at the end of Fremont where it turns into Boulder highway.
The window explodes like a gunshot, and bystanders (including the once-intrepid, now terror-stricken journalist) scatter for cover behind columns, trash cans and parked cars. As a half-dozen yellow-shirted bouncers pour into the parking lot, two other cars pull up and the scene flares into an old-fashioned brawl. In the middle of the fight, one of the bouncers produces a baton and smashes the driver's-side window of a red Honda Accord. More punches are thrown, Spanish curses are exchanged and after several minutes, the cars--including the white F-150--screech off into the night.

No one calls the police.

A few minutes later, the only remnants of the melee are a pair of broken bottles and a small pile of safety glass. Nearby, Mia and Marcia, regulars at the Silver Saddle, lean casually against a car in the parking lot. Asked if fights are common at the bar, Mia responds, "Oh, no, only like six times a night". "Mexicans and tequila just don't mix," she adds. Looking up and down, she concludes, "You probably shouldn't go there. They might kill you."

Quote: teddys

A weird Asian guy working the promotions desk gave me a one gallon jug of Hawaiian Punch after earning 200 slot club points.

First of all, that is a hilarious line. It reminds me of when I went on an anthropological excursion to the Western and ordered a beer from the blackjack pit. The waitress came back with an aluminum can. I was so amused by that.

In a head to head matchup, I have to go with Poker Palace over the Western. Although the Western is shabby, I did not feel threatened there. Plus, the Western's website looks like it was designed by Steve Jobs himself next to that of Poker Palace: http://www.pokerpalace.net/

All the places mentioned so far are good nominees though.

I'm not sure if the casino I'm thinking of is one mentioned. It truly looked awful. It looked like an old theater.

Or perhaps there is a theater (like live entertainment) of some sort connected to it. The parking lot was practically empty and they offered shrimp cocktail on the Marquee I believe.

I just can't remember exactly where it is.

the 'horn casinos give you a grandama's cookie for signing up.

While I have never entered the Western, a friend of mine told me that one of the player club comps was a 6 pack of Coors Beer. Judging from what I have heard about the place, I believe it.

Quote: rudeboyoi

the 'horn casinos give you a grandama's cookie for signing up.

Well, they are out of the running. How could you not like that? Also, they have this promotion:

"Any player hitting a pay of $50 or more on any machine or a Blackjack in diamonds will win a FREE 6 pack of Pepsi product!"

I'm sold. That's a plus E.V. of over 1,000 calories!

I would have to say Caesars. No just kidding. I haven’t been to any of the Horn casinos or the Western so I can only vote on the ones I have been to. I would have to say it would be (sorry ladies) Hooters.

Quote: SmithTower

I would have to say it would be (sorry ladies) Hooters.

You have a lot of slumming to do, friend. I can think of at least two properties right on the Strip worse than Hooters: O'Sheas and Tropicana.

Has anyone been to that tiny place behind Harrah's with the marquee that proclaims "WE HAVE 21 YEARS LEFT ON OUR LEASE"?
I might have to check it out the next time I'm in the area.

Here is a magazine article about it with a photo: http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/news/2009/aug/06/riddle-wrapped-harrahs/

P.S. Anyone know how to hyperlink? Cause I don't.

There is something called a restricted license that is a casino with no table games, and no sports book kiosk, and a maximum of 15 slot machines. There are actually 2000 of these licenses in Clark County. This may be one of them.

There is another category of license that is unrestricted but makes less than $1 million a year in gaming revenue. An example of this is the Greek Isles hotel near the convention center that has 100 slot machines, but no one goes in the hotel if they aren't staying there. Greek Isles used to be Debbie Reynold's mini hotel before she went bankrupt. It is very difficult to make less than $1 million with an unrestricted license, but there are 30-40 such places in the county. They are almost by definition very old places. If you make less than $1 million you do not have to submit any information about your non-gaming revenue.

Having never been to the Stage Door casino I am not sure what kind of license it has. Many bars and grocery stores have the maximum of 15 machines, so you just have to count them. I tend to associate casinos with the unrestricted licenses, but even some grocery stores or golf courses have an unrestricted license. I don't know how a grocery store reports their non-gaming revenue to the Gaming Commission, but maybe they are able to cordon off a room and say only that room is the casino.

But you really are opening up the candidates for shabbiest casino by about a multiple of 6 if you include restricted licenses. Incidentally the word casino is not controlled by the Gaming Commission, so there is no formal definition of what is or isn't a casino. Most people with 15 machines usually use the word pub, or bar. Also I think most of those restricted licenses are controlled by what are called slot runs or somebody who holds hundreds of restricted licenses, and they pay a fixed fee or a share of the profits with the bars or convenience stores. Restricted licenses were devastated by the new smoking ordnances, since smokers were a big part of the customer base. There is a chain of places called Dotty's where some of them are 15 machines and under and about a half a dozen are 25-45 machines. They are set up to look like you spinster aunt's apartment, but are heavily geared towards smokers. They have little bric a brac and lace doilies around the place, and you sit in big comfortable chairs to play games. I think it is quite a successful niche market.

Even 35 years ago, I do remember the pubs in London having one or two machines in the corner that played for change. However, I don't know if this mode of gaming will become popular outside of NV. I heard that Oregon permit video poker parlors.

It is possible, but unlikely that a 15 machine establishment could go over $1 million in a year, but that would be an average of $183 per day per machine which is very unlikely in Vegas. If any place was making that much money, then somebody would open another bar down the block.

Quote: nyuhoosier

You have a lot of slumming to do, friend. I can think of at least two properties right on the Strip worse than Hooters: O'Sheas and Tropicana.

O'Sheas is not a real casino, but just a marketing tool for Flamingo. It is not actually very old like Casino Royale. Tropicana has been extensively remodeled.

Aztec Inn‎ near the stratosphere actually has a tiny shabby hotel as well. Klondike casino in Henderson is pretty shabby, as is Hacienda hotel near Boulder. Boulder City itself does not have gaming.

The only place I ever walked in, took a brief look around, then turned around and walked right back out was the Opera House. That coupon went unused.

Because the word Casino is not regulated in any way, you have all these slot parlors using the word in their name. See, I think if a place has only machines, or just Bingo, or a Leroy's kiosk for sport's bet, it shouldn't be allowed to call itself a casino. DANNY'S SLOT COUNTRY with only 75 machines is one of the very few places with an honest name. MAD MATTY'S BAR AND GRILLE,FOOTHILLS EXPRESS, and FOOTHILLS RANCH are examples of places that don't mention gaming in their name, but they are only 35 slots per property. There should be a minimum of half a dozen table games, before you can advertise yourself as a Casino.

These are all places where you can play slots.

OPERA HOUSE CASINO
MERMAIDS CASINO
LA BAYOU CASINO
BEANO'S CASINO
BIG DOG'S CAFE & CASINO
CASINO VALLE VERDE
CHARLIE'S LAKESIDE CASINO
DOTTY'S CASINO
EUREKA CASINO
GOLDEN WEST RESTAURANT & CASINO
INDIAN SPRINGS CASINO
TERRIBLE'S TOWN CASINO
BARLEY'S CASINO & BREWING COMPANY
DRAFT HOUSE BARN & CASINO
EMERALD ISLAND CASINO
GOLD RUSH CASINO
MYSTIC LODGE CASINO
OASIS RESORT CASINO GOLF & SPA
RAINBOW CLUB AND CASINO
TERRIBLE'S TOWN CASINO
VILLAGE PUB AND CASINO
WILDFIRE CASINO
WILDFIRE CASINO AND LANES

What we really need is a database where we can pick say two games we like to play and see the casinos that have both. For example craps and mini bacarrat. That would be the most helpfull for those of us who only like certain games.

Nevada has a gambling survey here with the number of table games by casino. You can download the report by clicking on the Non-restricted Count Report, which you can access from the Nevada Gaming Commission .

You can copy these down into a spreadsheet and do a handy dandy autofilter or pivot table to get what you want.

===
The Stage Door has 46 slot machines and has a non-restricted slots license and is owned by Ronald Markin (89.6%) and Alan Lewis Hoffman (10.4%). Harrah's already owns the property and the building but apparently Markin has renewable 3 year leases that expire in 2029.

How to link:

[ link=the name of the link]Description of the link followed by [/ link]

but remove the space before link ie [link and [/link (otherwise you would just what you have below.

Link Name

Quote: pacomartin

Klondike casino in Henderson is pretty shabby, as is Hacienda hotel near Boulder.

Klondike casino is somebody's apartment! Last time I was there the dealers had a kitchen table set up in the middle of the pit and were eating a pretty nice spread they brought in for somebody's birthday party. They wouldn't give me any cake :(

Quote: pacomartin

Aztec Inn‎ near the stratosphere actually has a tiny shabby hotel as well. Klondike casino in Henderson is pretty shabby, as is Hacienda hotel near Boulder. Boulder City itself does not have gaming.

By Hacienda, I assume you mean Railroad Pass. Of the two casinos near Boulder City, that one's worse in my opinion.

I agree that a gaming joint shouldn't be allowed to use the word "casino" in its name unless it offers blackjack or has a stock exchange with exotic derivatives. Zing!

Also agree: The Klondike Sunset is a total dump. On Fridays they offer a free buffet to anyone who shows up. Don't do it. It was a step below nursing home food.

Agreed about Klondike, but it is possible to have a good time there. When I went I played blackjack at $2 a hand for an hour and got a free drink about every 5-10 minutes. The waitress was very cute in a "girl-next-door" kind of way. The other people at the table were the requisite old Asian lady, a young hotshot who said he had moved to Vegas, lost his bankroll on the strip and now could only afford to play at the Klondike, and a guy who I think might have been homeless, but was massively entertaining.

They also have $.10 roulette with a dollar inside minimum. How could you not have fun with that?

Oh, I had a great time once there in the middle of the day playing $3 blackjack with a couple of guys fresh off the golf course. Drink service was fast. That's the thing -- dumps can be a lot of fun. I tend to enjoy the low-rent joints more in the daytime before the sadness and desperation come out. A good example is Ellis Island, which is much preferable with sunlight streaming in.

Quote: nyuhoosier

By Hacienda, I assume you mean Railroad Pass. Of the two casinos near Boulder City, that one's worse in my opinion.

Hacienda and Railroad Pass are different (but similar casinos).
http://www.railroadpass.com/
http://www.haciendaonline.com/

Railroad Pass got it's license in 1931, the year they legalized gaming.

Quote: pacomartin

Also Silver Saddle Saloon at the end of Fremont where it turns into Boulder highway.
The window explodes like a gunshot, and bystanders (including the once-intrepid, now terror-stricken journalist) scatter for cover behind columns, trash cans and parked cars. As a half-dozen yellow-shirted bouncers pour into the parking lot, two other cars pull up and the scene flares into an old-fashioned brawl. In the middle of the fight, one of the bouncers produces a baton and smashes the driver's-side window of a red Honda Accord. More punches are thrown, Spanish curses are exchanged and after several minutes, the cars--including the white F-150--screech off into the night.

No one calls the police.

A few minutes later, the only remnants of the melee are a pair of broken bottles and a small pile of safety glass. Nearby, Mia and Marcia, regulars at the Silver Saddle, lean casually against a car in the parking lot. Asked if fights are common at the bar, Mia responds, "Oh, no, only like six times a night". "Mexicans and tequila just don't mix," she adds. Looking up and down, she concludes, "You probably shouldn't go there. They might kill you."

Just got back from Vegas and need to catch some sleep. I plan to post a few things about my visit within the next day or two. Just want to take this opportunity to say that I actually did venture into the Silver Saddle, and one of my upcoming posts will describe what I found there.

Quote: Doc

Just got back from Vegas and need to catch some sleep. I plan to post a few things about my visit within the next day or two. Just want to take this opportunity to say that I actually did venture into the Silver Saddle, and one of my upcoming posts will describe what I found there.

Silver Saddle was in the news yesterday as the location where a man picked up a prostitute, fought off her pimp, then strangled her and dumped her body in a desert. Your story will be interesting/

Note: Article removed by the Wizard. Please do not quote entire articles. The LVRJ has been known to sue web sites for doing this (source).