Lucky Dragon Hotel and Casino are separate buildings that occupy a mere 3 acres just off the Vegas Strip. The hotel is about 20 steps west from the casino at Lucky Dragon Las Vegas. Both buildings are connected by a walkway (called the SkyBridge) on the 2nd floor so you never have to walk outside if it’s cold or hot. However, the casino is on the first floor so you’ll probably just walk outside for 5 seconds.
The parking garage is attached to the casino building and accessible by the elevators in the casino. If you stay at the hotel and drive, you’ll have to walk across the small roadway or SkyBridge to get your vehicle. It’s inconvenient but since the casino, hotel and garage are so small that it shouldn’t be a big deal. For comparison, it’s a quicker walk to the garage from the hotel room than most casinos on the Vegas Strip.
I want to start my flurry of information about Lucky Dragon in the casino because that’s where most people will visit before staying in the hotel itself.
The Lucky Dragon Casino
The casino is very small at under 30,000 square feet. For comparison, it’s somewhere between the size of The Cromwell on the Vegas Strip and the Fremont in downtown Las Vegas. The best comparison would be the original casino pit and circle bar at the Hard Rock, but all on one level as they are today.
The center bar at Lucky Dragon is the Pagoda Bar which is right below the already infamous dragon chandelier hanging above. I started calling the chandelier/statue THE Lucky Dragon after a nice run at video poker. Similar to the original Hard Rock casino, the table games surround the bar with slot machines set in three of the four corners of the square building.
The Games
Lucky Dragon is an Asian themed casino made for Asian gamblers. This isn’t just another casino. There are only 37 table games and around 300 slot machines. Here’s a breakdown of the table games: 25 Baccarat games (14 traditional Baccarat, 11 EZ Baccarat), 4 Black Jack, 2 Fortune Pai Gow, 2 EZ Pai Gow, 2 Roulette, 1 Ultimate Texas Hold’em and 1 Three Card Poker.
Table game minimums are between $5 and $15 depending on the day. Carny games (Ultimate Texas Hold’em and Three Card Poker) had $5 minimum bets when I visited. Blackjack, Pai Gow, and Baccarat each had $10 and $15 tables when I visited. Blackjack players will be happy to know that the games pay 3:2 on blackjack.
Lucky Dragon doesn’t have a sports book, poker room, bingo room, keno lounge or any craps tables.
Regardless of sports betting, this might not be a casino that sports fans want to visit. The only TV’s at Lucky Dragon are at the Pagoda Bar and they might not even be showing mainstream sports unless you request. I visited on a Sunday afternoon and one of the TV’s at the bar was showing a Dog Show. This was a dream come true for this Dog Show lover, but I assume most people wouldn’t be happy about this.
High Limits Rooms
In addition to the main casino floor, there are two high limit table game rooms that feature baccarat. The Emerald High Limits room is just off the main casino floor while the VIP High Limits salons are secluded on the second floor. These rooms are private but open to the public because of Nevada gaming regulations. I dipped into the room grab a picture of one of the EZ Baccarat games, they also had big baccarat tables. This seems like a nice place for groups who want to gamble on their own table. Of course, only if you and your friends are high rollers.
Slot Machines
High Limits slot machine players don’t have a special room to call their own. The slot machines that cost $1 or more per game are located in the corner of the casino near the Emerald High Limits room. It’s a separate space but not quite the private experience High Limit slot players in big casinos are used to. Again, this is a unique boutique casino intended for a specific clientele who don’t play high limits slots as much as they play the tables.
The slot machines on the casino floor include about 45 video poker machines. Approximately 25 of the video poker machines are at one of the two bars.
Every slot machine at Lucky Dragon is new. There are no vintage games (no Top Dollar for me) but there are reel slot machines. The reel games come in all denominations from penny to $5. You’ll find video slot machines in a similar range of denominations but stopping at $1. The interesting, but not surprising, thing about many of the slot machines carry an Asian theme. You’ll find some of these games in other casinos but not this many in one casino.
Video Poker
There is no full pay video poker at Lucky Dragon but many of the games are better than you’ll find on the Vegas Strip. The bars have quarter 8/5 Bonus Poker but don’t pay a bonus on 4 Aces or 4 2,3 or 4. This game returns 98.48% with perfect play. You’ll find traditional Bonus Poker on the casino floor that pays 7/5 and includes the bonus for four of a kind. This game returns 99.1% with perfect play. vpFREE2.com says you’ll find 9/5 Jacks or Better or Better all over the casino, including the bars. This game returns 98.45% with perfect play.
This isn’t the best video poker in Las Vegas but it’s not close to being the worst. These games compare nicely to their neighbors at SLS Las Vegas and Stratosphere
Video Poker And Drinks At The Bar
Before visiting, I was expecting a very special experience at the Pagoda Bar when I visited Lucky Dragon. This bar is at the heart of the casino and was supposed to offer their unique specialty drink menu complimentary while playing. Unfortunately, I was told this was no longer the case. I paid $10 for a delicious Tiger Style beer cocktail. It was delicious, but I’m not in the habit of paying full price when I’m gambling.
Lucky Dragon doesn’t have a drink monitoring system and the drinks flow pretty quickly. Like many other casinos, you’re given an option of three middle shelf spirits to choose from for your complimentary drinks. Similar to MGM properties, this scotch drinker was offered Johnny Walker Red or Black and Dewars. The main difference at Lucky Dragon is that all spirits (I saw scotch and vodka) come from the bottle. The Pagoda Bar offers sake and a couple of different beers than you’ll find in other casinos. I was satisfied but underwhelmed.
Lucky Dragon Casino Atmosphere
Lucky Dragon has a very different atmosphere than any other casino in Las Vegas. This is both good and bad. The casino was designed for Asian customers and the early crowd in the casino was about 80% Asian. Much of the staff at Lucky Dragon is Asian as well.
The vibe at Lucky Dragon seemed so authentically Asian that made me wonder if this was similar to how Asian customers feel when visiting an American casino for the first time. The experience at Lucky Dragon casino is different than any other casino that you’ll visit in Las Vegas. Variety is the spice of life and I really enjoyed experiencing a comfortable and unique casino.
I’m not sure what the future holds for the hotel and casino but Lucky Dragon is a breath of fresh air in today’s Las Vegas.
