The 5 Best Things About Downtown Las Vegas
Downtown Las Vegas is having a renaissance.
Five years ago, it was nearly completely written off by tourists and locals. The neighborhoods around downtown Las Vegas were undesirable and many of the casinos had fallen to the point that tourists were unwilling to stay there.
That has since changed. Fremont Street is as busy as ever.
There is also a new bar district aimed at locals just east of the pedestrian mall. This areas, known as Fremont East, replaced many of the dilapidated neighborhoods that took away from downtown.
5. Fremont Street Experience
The Viva Vision canopy over the Fremont Street Experience displays a different show every hour after dusk.
The shows run hourly well into the night. These are set to popular music. There are also live musical shows on stages throughout the Fremont Street Experience.
Many are cover bands, but there are also headliners that are scheduled, especially during the summer months.
4. Cheaper dining
Many Las Vegas Strip restaurants charge exorbitant prices for food. Downtown casinos still offer the types of deals that old school Las Vegas was famous for.
That includes inexpensive shrimp cocktail and prime rib, as well as affordable buffets. There are also many familiar fast food names in downtown Las Vegas.
3. Drink prices
The drink prices at downtown Las Vegas casinos are half that of many higher end Las Vegas Strip ones.
It is easy to find $4 beers and mixed drinks that are not much higher. There are many bars with great prices that are directly on Fremont Street for easy access.
2. Better comps
It is much easier to get comps in downtown Las Vegas when compared to the Strip.
Locals and tourists alike will get mailers with free play, hotel, and dining offers. The amount of play to get these deals is minimal and comparable to locals casinos.
The amount of play required for comped meals is very liberal when compared to the Strip and is also comparable to locals joints in southern Nevada.
1. Downtown Las Vegas gambling
The best thing about downtown Las Vegas is the gambling.
It is easy to find $5 table games. That is nearly impossible on the Las Vegas Strip. Fremont and California spread $3 blackjack. Most blackjack games in downtown Las Vegas pay 3-2 on a natural.
The craps game at Fremont is often $3, especially during off-peak hours. Most house banked poker games have a $5 minimum bet. Roulette is always spread with a $5 minimum. El Cortez has it for just $1 with quarter chips.
The quality of gambling is also above average. Golden Gate and The D proudly boast that every blackjack pays 3-2 on their casino floors.
The same policy applies to Plaza, Las Vegas Club, and El Cortez. There is not a single Las Vegas Strip casino that can make that claim.
El Cortez spreads the best blackjack game in Las Vegas. It is a single deck game that pays 3-2 on blackjack and allows double down on any two cards.
Some of the best craps odds can be found in downtown Las Vegas. Main Street Station spreads 20 times odds.
This means that a player can bet an additional amount up to 20 times the pass line bet after the point is established. There is no house edge on the odds bet. Plaza, The D, Golden Gate, and El Cortez all offer 10 times odds.
Four casinos spread video poker games that return over 100 percent with basic strategy and five coins wagered. El Cortez spreads the best video poker game in Las Vegas.
It is a full pay version of Deuces Wild that is even better than the ones spread by locals casinos. It returns almost 101 percent.
El Cortez also offers 10/7/5 Double Bonus. That same game can be found at Main Street Station and Plaza. Las Vegas Club spreads full pay Joker Poker.
Downtown Las Vegas is also home to old coin video poker games for those that enjoy playing that experience. These coin-operated video poker games can be found at Main Street Station, California, Fremont, Las Vegas Club, The D, and El Cortez.
Many of the full pay games spread in downtown Las Vegas casinos are on coin machines.
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