Just over a year ago, Derek Stevens owner of the Golden Gate Casino purchased a few properties on Fremont Street. Included in the purchase were the casinos formerly known as Mermaids and La Bayou. The purchase also included the Glitter Gulch strip club. Mermaids and Glitter Gulch were closed and will become part of the casino that will take the place Las Vegas Club on the north side of Fremont Street. The working name for this casino is 18 Fremont.
La Bayou was on the south side of Fremont Street and also closed. This casino is now a part of the Golden Gate casino. La Bayou casino and an alley in between the Golden Gate are now a part of a large expansion of the casino floor at the Golden Gate. The construction was so seamless that you’d never know La Bayou if you didn’t know better. The new space at the Golden Gate doubles the size of the casino floor and is the home for 100 brand new slot machines.
The main feature of the expansion is by the new entrance on Fremont Street. When you enter the Golden Gate casino from this new entrance on Fremont Street you walk into a rotunda of sorts. As you enter the casino through the sliding doors and large curtain you’ll walk right into the massive 24 foot tall TV display shoots out from a circular pod of slot machines. This pod of slot machines sits atop a beautiful marble floor and beneath a gorgeous chandelier.
Related: Hotel Review | The Golden Gate Suite at the Golden Gate Las Vegas
Marble and a Tower of Slot Machines
The marble floor is pretty but it could become a “slippery when wet” hazard if (when) people spill drinks on the floor. This tower of slot machines is gorgeous, tall, and really impressive (see video below). Buffalo is among the most popular slot machines themes in casinos today so the games should see a lot of activity. However, this pod of games is just six feet from the door and could get a little uncomfortable between foot traffic and temperature changes every time someone walks in and out of the casino.
One Bar
When I visited the Golden Gate to check out the renovations the construction crew was putting finishing touches on the One Bar. The expansion of the bar outside of the casino will be 20 feet longer when the work is complete. There’s a large digital screen just above the bar. If you’re going to expand the inside of the casino, you might as well use the empty wall space outside to generate revenue. The new bar will have more beer taps and more room for go-go dancers to dance.
The new entry to the expanded area of the Golden Gate from Fremont Street is through modern sliding glass doors. The entry from the original casino is through the dark wood walls that you might be familiar with.
The new section of the casino focuses on new slot machines but there are still plenty of older games. The original casino still has plenty of older slot machines. Not everyone loves the newfangled loud and bright slot machines. There’s now a good variety of slots to play. I’m curious to see if there’s a difference in the slot player in each section of the casino.
Sports Betting Kiosk
The Golden Gate is one of the few casinos in Las Vegas without a sports book. However, you can still bet on the games when you’re in the casino. The William Hill sports betting kiosk is now in the new section of the casino. These kiosks are great if you know what you want to bet but don’t want to deal with people. This kiosk, in particular, should never be too busy. Keep that in mind for big games (Super Bowl, March Madness, NFL Sunday).
The expansion at The Golden Gate looks and feels very similar to the slot machine area at The D next to American Coney Island. The best part of the renovations is that it doesn’t affect the table games in the original casino. My favorite craps game in Las Vegas remains untouched! Here’s a video of the 20-foot slot machine tower so you can get a better perspective of how massive it is.
Also see: Let’s Take A Closer Look At The D Casino
