What Was Your Favorite Casino That Is No Longer In Existence?

Why, yes. As a matter of fact I did. I got a kick watching the old gents play 25¢ craps. I was going to get into the game, but it was shoulder-to-shoulder and it seemed kind of like a home game as they all knew each other, and some were quite salty, if you know what I mean.

 

If we're counting the Monte Carlo, then I'll pick that. And along the same lines, the old Sahara.

I also had some good times at Westward Ho but wouldn't say I miss it. Anything before 1994 is before my time.

 

Imperial Palace! Not because it was great, but I have fond memories partying there my first trip (for my 21st birthday)!

 

Stardust. Nothing else is even close.

Unless someone would allow me to count the Horseshoe .

 

A tautology if I ever heard one!

 

In 1992 I walked across the street when we were staying at the Dunes and bet on Minnesota Gopher Basketball game there, the place was interesting to say the least, it was just how I pictured a sports/race book in my mined smokey, gritty and filled with characters of all kinds, old guys betting on the horses smoking cigars and cigarettes drinking out of plastic cups watching the races on the small tvs, sports bet lines on a old style grease boards, low limit BJ and Craps tables that were not very busy with guys that looked like they were just killing time. Sadly this was the only time I went there, i just went out of curiosity and was not that impressed at that time we did most of are betting at the STARDUST because that is were DANNY SHERIDAN set the lines and they always showed him there on tv. Wish we would have spent more time there while it was around. If anyone else has any stories about LITTLE CAESAR'S SPORTS BOOK it would big great to hear them. The best thing I did was keep a $1.00 chips from there when we were playing BJ, the chip was dirty and grimy and so was LITTLE CAESAR'S. I did not keep the chip on purpose just left it in a pocket and found it in a junk draw years later by a deck of STARDUST cards, seeing them bought back the memories of those great trips to vegas as a young man, and realizing I had no clue about vegas back then. We can never return to these times but the memories are worth every penny I lost learning BJ, CRAPS, ROULETTE, BACCARAT, ONE ARMED BANDITS, AND OTHER CARNEY GAMES, from DESERT INN TO THE DUNES & STARDUST to the LANDMARK & KLONDIKE I miss them all.

 

Steve Wynn once owned the most refined casino resort in Las Vegas. With a tasteful elegance that never goes out of style, it exuded class without venturing into excessiveness.

Then he blew it up and built Bellagio2, um, I mean, Wynn Las Vegas. A very nice property. But certainly no Desert Inn. And certainly no improvement over DI.

I'll also mention The Las Vegas Hilton. Yes, the property is still there. But Westgate is no Las Vegas Hilton. LVH was a resort. Westgate is a convention hotel.

 

Although I only played there once, I thought Bill's was really freaking cool. This was my first trip to Vegas and we had a great time playing craps there.

 

Vacation Village
I had the great fortune of winning the secondary jackpot of 2 free nights at the hotel. I think they took offense when I asked if I could respin. I remember the little envelopes with the match plays printed off on colored copy paper. I think you are right that they had the dirtiest felt known to man.

 

The Luxor. And by that I mean the original Luxor that was glorious and marvelous in its ancient Egyptian theme. The one that embraced it. We used to go to Vegas and hardly wanted to leave Luxor. We had so much fun exploring the shops and all the little details they’d created with such care. I would cry when it was time to leave. I don’t understand the corporate mentality of detheming and making the resorts all the same and dull and generic. I live in Orlando which I believe is the number one vacation destination in the world and one of the things people love here about Disney is the attention to theming in the resorts and the parks. We were just in Vegas over Christmas for two weeks and on the way home I realized we’d never set foot in the Luxor the entire trip. Makes me sad. I still miss it.

 

I stayed at The Luxor when it first opened - I know what you mean !

 

Westward Ho - My 1st trip to Vegas in 2002 it was one of the first small casinos I went to. Learned how to play Single Deck from their awesome dealers. $1.99 hot dog & beer combos, $0.99 frozen margaritas (when if you added $0.50 to them you got 3 fingers of Jose Cuervo instead of well Tequila) It was small, cramped, loud and smoky. But really felt like Vegas. And now it's a McDonalds.

 

"(almost) Actual Size"

Actually, Mickey D's was between the Stardust and the Westward Ho(le) long before the two casinos were demolshed.

 

Stardust.Started going there my first trip in 92 and loved itm Wish they still had $3.99 dinner buffets onvthe Strip

 

Anyone remember the Klondike Hotel and Casino? What a special dive it was. As I recall it was about the size of Ellis Island and a dirty, low rolling paradise.

Obviously that charm caught the attention of the film crew of Vegas Vacation, it was used it the movie as the weird local casino having the odd table games (rock/paper/scissors anyone?).

Used to stand across from Mandalay Bay before demolition about 15 years ago.

 

Yah it had .99 cent pancakes or spaghetti all you can eat. FYI it was filling but not very good.

 

I think they were known for the spaghetti.

 

I've only been going 15 years or so but I always liked Barbary Coast and LV Hilton when it was Star Trek-themed.

 

"Vacancy", uh, yeah, I would say so ...

 

I was only in the Klondike once on the day we hit 50 casinos in one day but that will be another thread if I ever find the list we made. Right up there with Joker's Wild.