This is the first part of a short series on where to find value adjacent to the Vegas Strip, or “Vegas Strip Adjacent”. These casinos are between 100 steps and a couple of traffic lights west of the tourist trap we love.
Sometimes I feel like a broken record because Vegas is always changing, and so am I. Vegas values aren’t dead – they’re in different places.
Whenever I think about the phrase “the more things change, the more they stay the same,” I think about this Machinehead song. In a previous life I might have seen the band perform around 15-20 times and the screaming of that lyric is embedded in my head.
The truth of the matter is that the best things in Las Vegas have always been expensive. At the same time, there are plenty of values around town.
(Don’t tell anyone, but every major tourist destination like New York City, Orlando, LA, etc., is like this.)
While the cheap stuff is limited on the Vegas Strip, there’s plenty as close as 100 steps to five minutes away.
Cheap hotels, restaurants, and gambling near the Vegas Strip allowed me to afford sampling how the high rollers in my mind spent their time.
Today, it’s kind of the opposite. Most visitors want to stay on the Vegas Strip and step away to find those values.
The great thing is that there are plenty of options. They may or may not be at casinos, bars, or restaurants that you’ve heard of or visited before.
Here are a few of value casino-hotels VERY CLOSE to the Vegas Strip to visit if you’re looking for cheap eats, drinks, and gambling. We’ll look at more Vegas Strip adjacent casinos, bars, and restaurants over the next month or so.
Oyo (Formerly Hooters and San Remo)
Oyo is across the street from the MGM Grand and next to the vacant lot that was Tropicana. The property has cheap hotel rooms, gambling, food, and drink.
This isn’t the Wynn experience. Heck, it’s not even a megaresort like Luxor. However, it fits the bill for anyone looking to spend a little and be close to the action on the Vegas Strip.
The casino isn’t affiliated with other properties, and you’ll likely get more return for your gambling spend than you would at the properties a few minutes away. Chances are that your Vegas Strip budget would make you the big fish in this little pond.
For those just visiting for a gambling session, you can play $1 even money, $5 6:5, or $10 3:2 blackjack. Obviously, 3:2 is the best value, but the even money option might work for someone who wants to spend as little as possible. No judgement here.
Hotel rooms are always the cheapest in the area. As I write this, the cheapest rooms are $61 midweek and $145 on weekends. Spend a few bucks in the casino and you’ll likely get a nice discount or a comp. Expect something a little nicer than a roadside hotel in middle Connecticut.
If there’s one surprise, it’s that the two inexpensive chain restaurants aren’t cheap. Hooters and Steak N Shake cost what you’d expect for a casino on the Vegas Strip.
Ellis Island
The Ellis Island renovations that have been going on seemingly forever should be done around Labor Day. If you don’t mind dealing with the construction, all of the already inexpensive food is 50% off right now if you have a rewards card.
I’ll guess that 90% of TravelZork readers are familiar with this property as it’s been a great value for years. Anthony Curtis from Las Vegas Advisor has been recommending the property for as long as I can remember, including ZorkFest 2024.
For those of you not familiar with how close Ellis Island is, it’s a block behind Horseshoe Casino and easily accessible from numerous nearby casinos. The walk from Horseshoe will take about 5-10 minutes, depending on the person.
Ellis Island has cheap table games with fair odds. 3:2 blackjack is $5 while roulette and 10x odds craps are $10. There are countless gambling promotions on top of cheap games with fair odds.
The most fun Ellis Island gambling promotion is winning a free growler of beer for getting the blackjack of the day on a $15 bet. If you simply play $5 on any slot machine with your rewards card, you’ll get $5 off any BBQ menu item. Not too shabby!
There’s one promotion that has been Ellis Island’s calling card for years. The $9.99 steak special is a 10-ounce top sirloin steak served with potato or rice, garlic green beans, and homemade soup or salad.
The food at the restaurants is fairly priced and what you’d expect away from the tourist trap of the Vegas Strip.
At the time I’m writing this, there are no room rates in August over $100. Rates start increasing in September, but seem lower than other nearby properties. This isn’t a luxury hotel, but it’s nicer than most non-casino hotels in Atlantic City.
Palace Station
Palace Station is on the opposite side of the I-15 freeway from Sahara Casino. It’s about a five-minute drive since there are multiple lights.
The property has undergone a major transformation and looks and feels nothing like the casino I remember when I first moved here. In fact, other than the world-famous Oyster Bar, just about everything is different.
Earlier this year, Station Casinos rolled out a slew of overnight deals and one great all-day value at its coffee shops throughout the chain, and they are LEGIT for an option so close to the Vegas Strip.
The all-day cheeseburger and fries special at Brass Fork inside Palace Station is $5.99 with a Boarding Pass rewards card. There are various overnight specials from 11 pm to 6 am. The most expensive is steak and eggs for $9.99. An order of pancakes is just $3.99.
Full-price dishes are also inexpensive. Chicken Parm with spaghetti is $17.99.
Charcoal Room is the high-end steakhouse at Palace Station, and an NY Strip is just $53. There are better steakhouses in Las Vegas, but I’ve had this numerous times, and it’s the right price for a steak.
If you’re over 50 and pay with Boarding Pass points, you can dine at many Station Casinos restaurants for half price on Wednesdays. Get the info here.
Like all Station Casinos properties, you’ll find fair table game rules and odds and solid video poker paytables. Sports bettors like me appreciate that they can often find better odds wagering against the most popular teams. The bettors aren’t the sharpest in Las Vegas. Keep that to yourself.
Some Quick Vegas Strip Adjacent Hits
Here are a few more inexpensive options at the Vegas Strip adjacent casinos.
Scotch 80 Prime at Palms has 30% off certain items on its menu during Social Hour, Monday-Thursday from 5 pm – 7 pm. If you remember my visit to Palms last year, you might recall I loved the Ribeye Cap. It’s normally $65, but it’s $45.50 for early diners. The whipped potatoes I had are now discounted to $8.40. That’s more than enough food for an early dinner.
Palms also deals 3:2 blackjack all day, and the dealers are fun.
Ping Pang Pong at Gold Coast is one of my favorite Chinese restaurants in Las Vegas. The food is always good, and the price is always right.
When my friends visit for our annual trip, we often visit PPP a day or two after going to Carbone. The entire bill usually ends up being what each of us pays a Carbone at Aria.
This is one way to stretch the dollar. Have the fancy meal one night and flip the script the next day with a huge value meal.
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Marc grew up on the mean streets of the South Bronx. He's the rare combination of Yankees and Jets fan which explains his often contrarian point of view. He learned about gambling at a young age working down the street from a bookie who took action on anything from the mainstream sports to the last three digits of the purse for certain horse races. Yeah, that's a thing. Today Marc is a freelance writer and social media consultant which allows him to work anywhere there's a wifi signal. This allows him to work from the sportsbook at Red Rock Resort or the food court at The Venetian where you’ll find fast and free wifi. Writing about steak, booze, gambling and Las Vegas is a tough job but somebody has to do it.
