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When the Tropicana hotel-casino was demolished in 20241 cassino the question became: How many classic casinos with original construction are left in Las Vegas?
Answer: Not many.
The demolition of legacy casinos began picking up steam in 1989. That’s when resort developer Steve Wynnopened the Mirage hotel-casino on the Las Vegas Strip. This sparked a boom in megaresort construction and the implosion of most longtime properties along the resort corridor, especially those from the Mob era, which ran roughly from the 1940s into the '80s.
The vintage casinos that no longer exist include the Desert Inn, Riviera, Sands (ground zero for the Rat Pack), Stardust, Frontier, Dunes and Hacienda.
Ironically, the Mirage now is closed for good. It is being replaced by a Hard Rock casino with a guitar-shaped hotel tower. Gone is the Mirage volcano, a tourist attraction spewing flames that, at one time, had the scent of a piña colada.
The Tropicana was first opened in 1957. Once linked to the Mob, it featured elaborate stage shows and performances by top entertainers. Known in its day as the “Tiffany of the Strip," the Trop, as locals called it, was toppled last year to make room for a Major League Baseball stadium. The former Oakland Athletics, now making their home at a minor league ballpark in Sacramento, plan to relocate in 2028 to the site where the Tropicana once stood.
For those seeking a link to Las Vegas’ past, however, a few historic casinos are still open 24/7.
We rank them below:
Top 5 Classic Las Vegas Casinos
Here are Gambling.com’s Top 5 classic Las Vegas casinos that you can visit today.
Note: Las Vegas’ southern city limit ends at Sahara Avenue, meaning the major resorts on the Strip aren’t technically in “Las Vegas.” However, everyone refers to the entire area, including the Strip and downtown, as Las Vegas.
1. Fremont:This hotel-casino in downtown Las Vegas’ Glitter Gulch first opened in 1956 and for years was one of the most mobbed-up casinos in the area. From here, Mob currier Ida Devinecarried untaxed, skimmed casino revenue by train to gangster Meyer Lansky in South Florida. On the entertainment front, 15-year-old singer Wayne Newtongot his start at the Fremont long before he was known as Mr. Las Vegas. These days, the Fremont is operated by publicly traded Boyd Gaming and has a FanDuel sportsbook.
2. Binion’s Gambling Hall:No longer owned by the Binion family, this casino is where Texan Benny Binionran the Horseshoe casino, home of the World Series of Poker for decades. It also attracted assorted rogues and renegades. According to Las Vegas author Jack Sheehan, the father of actor Woody Harrelson,Charles Harrelson, once handed out a business card in the casino, identifying himself as a “professional hitman.” Later convicted of killing a federal judge, Charles Harrelson died in prison in 2007 at age 68.
3. El Cortez: This downtown casino first opened in 1941. A few years later, the El Cortez was briefly owned by Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegeland other gangsters. From here, Siegel took over construction of the Flamingo casino on the desert highway south of downtown, opening it in December 1946. The Flamingo is at the same location (on what is now known as the Strip), though its last original building was demolished in 1993. The El Cortez, still open for business with original construction intact, is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
4. Circus Circus: First opened in 1968 and still featuring circus acts above the gaming floor, the resort was tied to the Kansas City Mob and once had a gift shop operated by the Chicago Outfit’s Tony “The Ant” Spilotro. In the 1995 movie “Casino,” Joe Pesci portrays a character based on Spilotro. The small companion casino next door, Slots-A-Fun, also once was connected to organized crime. Currently, Circus Circus is up for sale, leaving many to wonder whether its days are numbered. That slower portion of the Strip has seen new resorts open in recent years, leading to what many hope is a North Strip revival.
5. Caesars Palace: When this hotel-casino on the Las Vegas Strip first welcomed visitors in 1966, Mob-backed Teamsters leader Jimmy Hoffa attended the grand opening. Teamsters money helped construct this resort and others in the area. Caesars Palace once featured major boxing matches in an outdoor ring on the property. It also is where daredevil Evel Knievel crashed his motorcycle in a jump over the resort's fountains in 1967. In later years, an episode of HBO’s “The Sopranos” was filmed partially at Caesars Palace. The property continues to be a major attraction to this day.
Honorable mention: Other vintage casinos still in business, some with original construction and some without, include the Golden Gate,Golden Nugget, Four Queens, Saharaand Flamingo.