Las Vegas is a constantly changing city with shows, restaurants, attractions, and visitors constantly coming and going. This state of flux includes casinos themselves with even some of the most historic casinos facing demolition on a regular basis.
Two more properties could soon be imploded as part of current expansion plans in the city. With the Oakland A’s moving to town and to make room for a new stadium, the Tropicana may soon be history. News also emerged late last week that the Casino Royale’s operator, the Best Western hotel corporation, would also be demolishing Casino Royale.
The demolitions will eliminate two of the oldest casinos in Las Vegas as operators plan to use those properties for other attractions.
“While Las Vegas has always looked to the past for some of its entertainment choices, it’s much less nostalgic when it comes to aging casinos,” TheStreet.com notes. “That’s especially true on the Las Vegas Strip where land has become so exceptionally valuable that it makes little sense to operate dated properties.”
What’s Ahead for the Two Las Vegas Locations?
News broke earlier this year that Bally’s, owner of the Tropicana, reached an agreement with the A’s for a new stadium to be built on the site of the Tropicana. The $1.5 billion venue would be built on the 34-acre site and hold 35,000 fans.
Bally’s is expected to retain the name and build a new casino on the property as well when the stadium is completed. The Trop was built in 1957 and is the second-oldest on the city’s famed Las Vegas Strip. The A’s are still awaiting approval from MLB for the move to Las Vegas, but that may be a formality. The team isn’t expected to take the field in the new venue in 2028.
Casino Royale also looks to now face a similar fate as the Tropicana. The property also has a deep history in Vegas and was built in 1964. The casino has long been known as a place for cheap beer and $25 free play for those who sign up for the casino’s player loyalty card. In an area dominated by mega resorts and casinos, however, the casino didn’t quite fit anymore with Vegas’s modern image.
“Mostly, however, the small casino looks out of place nestled amidst a number of Caesars properties,” TheStreet reports. “Now, the owners of Casino Royale have been approved to build a much different development on the property and they’re on the clock to get construction going.”
That development appears to be a 699-foot tower of some sort. Best Western has received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the project but the tower must be built by Jan. 21, 2025. That quick time frame means the Casino Royale demolition could occur before the tearing down of the Tropicana.
Reports indicate that some employees at the casino’s restaurants have already been told they will be out of their jobs soon, as demolition then construction gets closer. More details on the Best Western project have yet to be released.
Facing the Wrecking Ball
Las Vegas has a long history of bulldozing older properties to make way for the latest and greatest casinos. The demolition of aging casinos has become a bit of a spectator sport for Vegas visitors and observers.
The Riviera was the most recent Strip to get the ax. The property operated from April 1955 to May 2015, but gave way for the expansion of the Las Vegas Convention Center. The property’s removal involved two implosions. The first came in June 2016 and the second came in August 2016.
The 2000s were a busy time for Vegas implosions. The El Rancho fell in 2000 to pave the way for the Turnberry Towers. The Towers were never built and the Fontainebleau is now expected to open at the site. The Desert Inn then hit the dustbin of history in 2001 as the Wynn took its place.
Castaways, formerly known as the Showboat, had once been home to the largest bowling alley in the world with 106 lanes. Bankruptcy gave the property a gutter ball, however, and Station Casinos bought the property. A casino has yet to be built in its place. The Bourbon Street and Boardwalk casinos were also given the implosion treatment the same year.
A year later, two more historic properties also saw their Vegas futures cut short. The New Frontier had been open since 1956 and held the distinction of being the last casino owned by Howard Hughes. The property gave Siegfried and Roy their start but did its own disappearing act in 2007.
Also that year, the Stardust casino met the same fate. The property once hosted major acts like Frank Sinatra and inspired the Martin Scorsese film Casino.
