One of the oldest casinos in Las Vegas, Binion’s Gambling Hall and Hotel, celebrated its 70th anniversary on August 15.
Founder Benny Binion opened the casino as Binion’s Horseshoe on August 14, 1951 after buying the Eldorado Club and Hotel Apache earlier that year. Among many firsts, it was the first casino in downtown Las Vegas to replace sawdust-covered floors with carpeting, the first to have air conditioning and the first to offer comps to all gamblers.
The Binion family operated the casino and hotel until 2004 when they sold it to TLC Casino Enterprises, owners of the Four Queens on Fremont Street.
Manager Tim Lager said over the decades, Binion’s has worked hard to maintain its brand and stay true to Benny Binion’s philosophy: If a casino has good food, good whiskey and good gambling, people will keep coming back.
Lager said, “You can’t fake quality and that’s how we feel. When you have a drink with us, it’s a quality drink. It’s not overpriced but it’s a fair drink and that’s important. Same thing with the gambling. We want somebody comes in here and when they play our slot machines or table games, they have good odds and enjoy themselves and stay with us for a long period of time.”
Lager said he’s glad Binion’s has withstood the test of time, with so many new casinos opening over the years. “You can’t buy history and we have history tenfold. We’ve got the legends of gaming that started and worked in this area, so we’re very proud of that,” Lager stated.
