Decades Back In Time: An Afternoon In Laughlin

I was sitting in my house in Henderson, Nevada on a Sunday morning and thinking 102° before 10 a.m. wasn’t hot enough for me, so I decided to hit the road a little over an hour south to a place where it is consistently somehow even hotter: Laughlin, Nevada.

In the past, I tried to include a visit to Laughlin as part of my Las Vegas trips about twice a year. As much as I loved going to Laughlin, the only problem was that just about the whole time I was there, all I could think about was how excited I was to be in Las Vegas next.

This trip, however, was different. I recently moved to the Las Vegas area, so now without any time constraints there, I didn’t feel the need to rush my stay in Laughlin! I am glad I didn’t. There is a lot more to Laughlin than you might initially experience.

Despite not offering as much in terms of amenities, restaurants, or shows as Las Vegas, Laughlin’s old-school charm tends to play in its favor. It’s truly one of the last semblances of classic Vegas. The gaming rules are mostly spectacular, the dealers are all very friendly, and the value is phenomenal compared to Las Vegas. Laughlin has a true community feel worth soaking up for a day of any Vegas trip.

Stop No. 1: Don Laughlin’s Riverside Resort

As you drive into Laughlin from the Las Vegas metro (at least the route I take), the first casino you pass in town is the property that started it all: Don Laughlin’s Riverside Resort, started by and named after Laughlin’s founder himself.

Riverside Resort is by far my favorite casino in town and home to one of my favorite games to play — a single-deck, pitched blackjack table.

Ironically, when I first started visiting Laughlin years ago, I hated Riverside Resort. I thought it was a tacky flea market with slot machines, complete with a casino floor that seemed determined to make sure I got lost every visit. My attitude toward this casino quickly shifted after a few trips when I began to appreciate its tackiness and classic charm — now it’s hard to keep me away!

I sat down at one of its single-deck blackjack tables. Riverside Resort’s pit sits adjacent to a massive outfacing window offering sweeping views of the Colorado River and mountains behind it. Because of this, I love playing on a table where I can face the window. The only problem is that I never seem to win on the table that looks out on the river. I know this is purely coincidence, but it’s very suspicious nonetheless.

The cursed table struck again on this trip. I lost my buy-in pretty quickly, but hey, at least I got to watch the boats and Jet Skis pass while receiving 14 … 14 … and naturally, another 14 from the dealer, and busting on almost all of them!

It was around lunchtime by the time I busted out at the blackjack table, and as we know from my Oklahoma and Biloxi trips, I am a sucker for a casino buffet. Unfortunately for me, Riverside Resort’s buffet line stretched roughly 100 feet long, so I decided to just move on to the next casino.

On a Sunday around midday at Don Laughlin’s Riverside Resort, table limits were $5 for Three Card Poker, Let It Ride, and Deuces Wild Hold’em Fold’em; $10 for single-deck 3:2 blackjack, six-deck 3:2 blackjack, six-deck 3:2 Free Bet blackjack, and 5x odds craps; and $15 for Face Up Pai Gow Poker and double-0 roulette.

Stop No. 2: Aquarius Casino Resort

Separated by a sun-baked parking lot from Riverside Resort is the only casino in town that I can say with confidence would fit in nicely on the Las Vegas Strip: Aquarius Casino Resort.

Years ago, Aquarius was the Flamingo Laughlin, which you can tell to this day by its pink-tinted windows, similar to the Flamingo on the Vegas Strip.

The gaming floor here is spacious, clean, and surprisingly luxurious. Although the table games pit is expansive, only a select few tables were open during my walk-through. Interestingly enough, however, slot play dominated the gaming floor.

Like its neighbor to the north, Aquarius’ buffet line was equally long, stretching onto the gaming floor from its peripheral location. Strike two for me.

I was visiting on a weekend, but if you are at Aquarius on Monday-Thursday from 2 a.m.-6 p.m, you can find $5 blackjack and craps and $15 two-deck blackjack on the gaming floor as part of a promotion advertised with signage on the unopened tables.

On this visit, however, table limits at Aquarius included $5 Heads Up Hold’em, High Card Flush, Let It Ride, Three Card Prime, and Four Card Frenzy; $10 six-deck 3:2 blackjack, six-deck 3:2 Free Bet blackjack, Fortune Pai Gow Poker, double-0 roulette, and 5x odds craps; and $25 two-deck 3:2 blackjack.

Stop No. 3: Edgewater

Just south of Aquarius sits its sister property, Edgewater, another Golden Entertainment casino that has unfortunately become more of a walk-through than a gambling destination.

That wasn't always the case.

Some of my earliest memories of visiting Laughlin happened inside this casino. I still remember pulling into town after an all-night drive from Oklahoma City, running on little more than caffeine and excitement, and making Edgewater my very first stop to play blackjack. I honestly can't remember whether I won or lost that session, but I do remember how excited I was just to finally be in Laughlin.

Unfortunately, I won't get the chance to recreate that memory. Shortly before my previous visit in August 2025, Edgewater permanently removed its live table games, bringing an end to what had long been one of my regular blackjack stops.

It was also my preferred place to stay for years. The room rates were consistently among the best in town, and if you were lucky enough to book one overlooking the Colorado River, you were treated to one of the better views in Laughlin without paying premium resort prices.

Today, Edgewater serves mainly as a convenient passageway between neighboring casinos. While the gaming floor is now entirely devoted to slot machines, the property still has a couple of highlights worth checking out, including a pair of inviting riverfront bars and a spacious sportsbook with plenty of seating. It's no longer the casino where I'll spend hours at the blackjack table, but it still feels like an important piece of Laughlin's casino history.

Stop No. 4: Tropicana Laughlin

With Edgewater’s removal of its table games still fresh in my head, I was shocked to walk into the Tropicana to see the table games were not where they were during my last visit. Luckily, after walking a little farther into the heart of the gaming floor, I spotted them. They had just been moved to the non-smoking side of the casino.

It is still pretty surreal that Tropicana Laughlin is the last surviving Tropicana Casino in the state of Nevada following the closing of the Las Vegas Tropicana in 2024.

The Trop is the only casino located on the west side of the street and without direct access to the Colorado River. I would imagine that missing piece doesn’t do it any favors when trying to attract families on vacation looking for water activities.

The pool, at least, looks nice and was packed with people during my walk-through, so that may make up for it. The only drawback to the pool complex is that it is nestled between two hotel towers on the east and west, so sunlight opportunities seem limited.

Another aspect Tropicana is good for is low-limit table games, with $5 limits routine, even during busier hours. This day was no exception, with table limits being set at $5 for six-deck 6:5 blackjack and Ultimate Texas Hold’em. There were also $5 I Luv Suits and Three Card Poker, and $15 two-deck 3:2 blackjack tables that were not open during my visit. Roulette had also been removed from the casino floor since my last visit and replaced by a hybrid game.

Stop No. 5: Golden Nugget

One of my main goals for this trip was to finally find out where the hotel at Golden Nugget was located. Although I hadn’t really tried very hard in the past to find it, the fact that pretty much all you can see on the exterior of the property is the parking garage next to the casino building, I was curious.

My hunt for the hotel would have to wait, because I spotted a $10 six-deck blackjack table with an empty seat calling my name. I am happy I did things in this order, because I ended up playing for a couple hours with a great group of guys where we all won.

There was a span of two six-deck shoes where the dealer just kept busting and busting. If I were a side bet player, I would have made a small fortune playing the Buster Blackjack side bet on this table!

I got a little greedy with my bet sizing toward the end of the game, so a bad run-out at the end ate into my winnings some, but I still colored up with a decent profit. Most importantly, the cocktail waitress brought me an endless supply of bottled water, necessary on such a day.

I even finally located the hotel here, which was just behind the parking garage the whole time and took me about 30 seconds to find. Not exactly the most challenging scavenger hunt, if you ask me.

I was particularly impressed by Golden Nugget’s dealers. Every one we had was full of personality and made the game fun. I couldn’t have tipped them enough!

On a Sunday afternoon at Golden Nugget, table limits were set at $5 for Three Card Poker, Jackpot Hold’em, and double-0 roulette, and $10 for six-deck 3:2 blackjack & 5x odds craps. There were also $15 single-deck 6:5 blackjack and $25 two-deck 3:2 blackjack tables that would not open until later that evening.

Stop No. 6: Harrah’s Laughlin

I parked my truck at Riverside Resort, located on the far north end of Laughlin’s casino row so I could just walk to each property. Needless to say, I learned my lesson to park in a more central location next time I am here in the summer. That walk back from the Golden Nugget was miserable!

I made it back to the truck to drive to Harrah’s, the first of two outlying casinos in town located away from the main strip.

As I climbed into the truck, the outside temperature display flashed an unbelievable 125 degrees. I seriously doubt it was actually that hot — my guess is it was probably "only" around 115 — but after baking in the parking lots all afternoon, I wasn't interested in arguing with the thermometer. Either way, I had absolutely no intention of making the uphill extra mile walk to Harrah’s in this weather!

I was blown away by the busy atmosphere at Harrah’s on a Sunday afternoon. I couldn’t believe how long the hotel check-in line was. The hotel prices have to be incredible here on a weekday. It may make for a good staycation for me one of these days when I come back.

The gaming floor was no different. Slot play really dominated the floor, but every different type of gambling offered had a good number of players, including the tables, Keno, poker, and the sportsbook.

Unfortunately, that’s where my excitement hit a wall.

Of the roughly 15 blackjack tables on the floor, only one still paid 3:2 — and it was a $25 double-deck game. Everything else had been converted to 6:5.

I know plenty of casual players don't think twice about the difference, but for me it's a deal breaker. When virtually every other casino in Laughlin still offers better blackjack conditions, I just couldn't justify sitting down. It was disappointing, because everything else about Harrah's made me want to stay.

Otherwise, in the pit, Harrah’s featured $5 Ultimate Texas Hold’em & Mississippi Stud; $10 Three Card Poker, Let It Ride, High Card Flush, 5x odds craps, eight-deck 6:5 blackjack, eight-deck 6:5 Free Bet blackjack, and double-0 roulette; $15 Face Up Pai Gow Poker and two-deck 6:5 blackjack; and $25 two-deck 3:2 blackjack.

Stop No. 7: Avi Resort & Casino

While Harrah’s is borderline a walkable casino from Laughlin’s main casino drag, you would be completely out of your mind to try walking to Avi Resort & Casino, a 15-minute drive south of town, nestled a stone’s throw from both Arizona and California in the very southern tip of the state.

Avi is the rare Native American-owned casino in Nevada, so it has always seemed like a wild card to me compared to the larger commercial casinos nearby. Despite its smaller size and challenging location, Avi makes up for its drawbacks by offering a vast assortment of restaurants and amenities for the whole family, most notably its movie theater and the private beaches along the Colorado River.

Weirdly enough, I had never actually sat down to play at the table games here since in the past I always seemed to visit before they opened for the day. Luckily, I was able to catch them open this time.

I broke one of my personal rules, which is not to play on a continuously shuffled game. I understand that there really isn’t a difference in expected outcome, it’s only a personal preference. It turns out that maybe I should have been playing on continuous shuffler blackjack games more often, because I didn’t lose at all in the first seven hands of my game! Maybe I should work on amending my rulebook.

My stay at Avi was brief, but I managed to make a little money, so it was all worth it.

Overall, Avi is a solid property. There is not much special about it, but it offers just about everything you could want in a casino. I personally like the classic Native American-style interior, very similar to the Indian casinos in Oklahoma that I spent my younger years playing in.

On a Sunday afternoon at Avi, table limits included $10 3:2 blackjack (dealt from a continuous shuffler), Three Card Poker, and double-0 roulette.

A taste of old Vegas

Modern Las Vegas isn't for everyone. Over the years, casino ceilings have climbed higher, food halls have replaced many of the classic buffets, table minimums have steadily increased, and favorable table game rules have become harder to find. For players who miss the way Vegas used to feel, there's still a place where much of that experience survives.

Just over an hour from the Las Vegas Strip, Laughlin offers a refreshing reminder of what made southern Nevada a gambling destination in the first place. The pace is slower, the dealers are friendlier, the table limits are lower, and games paying 3:2 blackjack are still the norm rather than the exception.

Add in the Colorado River, water taxis, and a surprisingly scenic setting, and you have a destination that offers something Las Vegas simply can't.

By the end of the day, I had visited all seven casinos in town, played blackjack at three of them, finished ahead at two, and managed to survey every table game Laughlin had to offer — all without ever feeling rushed. That's part of Laughlin's charm.

It isn't trying to compete with the Las Vegas Strip, and it doesn't have to. It has carved its own identity as one of the last places where the spirit of classic Vegas is still alive and well.

If you're already planning a trip to Las Vegas, do yourself a favor: Rent a car, make the scenic drive south, and spend a day in Laughlin. You may come for the low table limits and old-school blackjack, but don't be surprised if you leave wondering why you don't make the trip more often.