Binion’s Hotel-Casino celebrates 70 years in downtown Vegas

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Binion’s Hotel-Casino celebrates 70 years in downtown Vegas
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LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – Binion’s Gambling Hall and Hotel, one of the oldest casinos in Las Vegas, is celebrating its 70th anniversary Saturday.

Binion’s Horseshoe opened on Aug 14, 1951. Benny Binion opened the casino after buying the Eldorado Club and Hotel Apache earlier that year. 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 ran the casino and hotel until 2004, when it was sold to TLC Casino Enterprises, which also owns the Four Queens on Fremont Street.

Manager Tim Lager said Binion’s has worked hard to maintain its brand over the decades and to stay lower to Benny Binion’s philosophy that if one has good food, good whiskey, and good gambling, people will keep coming back.

“You can’t fake quality and that’s how we feel,” said Lager. “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 happy the property has stood the test of time with so many new resorts popping up over the years.

“You can’t buy history and we have history tenfold,” said Lager. “We’ve got the legends of gaming that started and worked in this area. so we’re very proud of that.”

Binion’s is celebrating with special 70th-anniversary deals and contests all August. You can find details here.