Frommer's Las Vegas 2004

THE CASINOS 225
about, as you gamble under the watchful gaze of faux-marble Roman statues.
The very high ceiling in certain areas of the casino makes for a very low claustrophobia
level, especially thanks to the recent face-lift, which has lightened up
the paint and made the area much brighter. Unfortunately, some spots in the
casino are dark and entirely too claustrophobic. Although we love it, the casino
has become somewhat confusing and unmanageable because of its size and
meandering layout, like Caesars itself.
A notable facility is the state-of-the-art Race and Sports Book, with huge electronic
display boards and giant video screens. (Caesars pioneered computergenerated
wagering data that can be communicated in less than half a second, and
has sophisticated satellite equipment that can pick up the broadcast of virtually
any sporting event in the world.) The domed VIP slot arena of the Forum Casino
(minimum bet is $5, but you can wager up to $1,500 on a single pull!) is a plush,
crystal-chandeliered precinct with seating in roomy, adjustable chairs. Gamblers
can accumulate bonus points toward cash back, gifts, gratis show tickets, meals,
and rooms by joining the Park Place Connection, a players club also valid at sister
properties like Bally’s and Paris. Club membership also lets you in on grand-prize
drawings, tournaments, and parties.
The most upscale of the Caesars gaming rooms is the intimate, Europeanstyle
casino adjoining the Palace Court restaurant. It’s a gorgeous and elegant
place to gamble, but we’ve never won there, so we hate it. 3570 Las Vegas Blvd. S.
& 702/731-7110.
The Flamingo Las Vegas If you’ve seen the movie Bugsy, you won’t recognize
this as Mr. Siegel’s baby. We can’t say for sure what their seemingly years-long casino
renovation actually did. It all looks pretty much the same, but it might be marginally
less confusing and tortuous a layout (trust us, anything is an improvement)
with better, and most welcome, access to the street (before, you needed a trail of
breadcrumbs and a lot of stamina to find your way out). Still, the claustrophobia
factor is moderately high. We have to say that of all the casinos that qualify as older,
this is the most pleasant one in which to play. Unfortunately, the gambler seems to
be paying for it; no more daytime $3 blackjack. One of our favorite slot machines
is here, but we won’t tell you which one, to save it for ourselves. Sorry. The
Flamingo takes part in the Park Place Connection, a players-reward club also valid
at sister properties such as Caesars and Paris. 3555 Las Vegas Blvd. S. & 702/733-3111.
Gold Coast Adjacent to the Rio, this casino is not only well lit, but totally
unique in Vegas: It has windows! It’s a little thing, but it made us really excited.
They also had a higher ratio of video-poker machines to slot machines, rather
than the other way around. A remodeling made it much bigger, with high ceilings,
and very bright overall. Nice job. 4000 W. Flamingo Rd. & 702/367-7111.
Harrah’s A mixed bag of a casino, one that is both dated (low ceilings, old
lighting, stuffy) and fun (parts have high enough ceilings, and there are special
attractions we will detail in a moment). The main reason to come here are the
“party pits,” gaming-table areas where dealers are encouraged to wear funny hats,
celebrate wins, and otherwise break the usual stern dealer facade. Singing, dancing,
and the handing out of party favors have all been known to erupt. (Gambling
is supposed to be fun, so enjoy it!) Slot and table-game players can earn
bonus points toward complimentary rooms, meals, and show tickets by joining
Harrah’s Total Rewards in the casino, which is also valid at sister hotel Rio. There
are nonsmoking areas (fat lot of good that did, the place reeks of smoke), and free
gaming lessons are offered on weekdays. 3475 Las Vegas Blvd. S. & 702/369-5000.