What do people miss the most about the way old Las Vegas? Whether it’s the games or the food or the service, they all have one thing in common. And you won’t believe what tops our list! Yes, Sin City is always changing, and most of the time that’s a good thing, But these days the city feels overcrowded, overhyped, and overpriced. However, some of what we miss about classic Vegas may be more sentimental than practical.
Old Las Vegas may be gone, but not all changes have been bad. take the ticket in ticket out system for modern slot machines, it’s certainly more convenient, but players today may never know the sound. Of coins falling into a hopper from a big win. And that brings us to the number four spot on our list of things we miss about vintage Las Vegas: Coin operated slot machines!
As simple as they were, there was nothing quite like carrying around that big old bucket full of coins. Yeah, it was heavy and the coins were dirty and sometimes people would try to steal them. But we just called that part of the Vegas experience. You can still find a few of these machines scattered around town, but most are at slots of fun located near Circus Circus.
Then at number three on our list is something very close to my heart. My stomach! As people really missed: Cheap Las Vegas buffets! Before COVID hit, you could still find some buffets at reasonable prices, but now? Good luck locating one at a resort for less than $20. Closer to $30 if it’s dinner time, and those are the very least expensive. A far cry from the cheap eats of old Las Vegas that used to dominate the strip… even adjusted for inflation.
And with that, we come to the second spot on our list: Better paying games! Hey, remember single deck blackjack that paid 3:2? Remember that? Yeah, well good luck finding that anymore! Today it’s mostly an eight shoe shit show with 6:5 odds. And just try to track down a one zero roulette wheel in Sin City these days. Most have two or even three zeros,,, destroying players’ odds. Slot machines are also paying less these days… as low as 89% on the Strip when they used to pay back as much as 97%.
Now you can still find some of these old Vegas games if you look: Ellis Island, South Point, the Palms, the Strat, and Treasure Island… all have 3:2 blackjack, but none are single deck. The Plaza still has a one zero roulette wheel, and for the best paying slots head to Red Rock… or downtown to Main Street Station.
And finally this week, I’ve kept you in suspense for long enough. So at the top of our list is a combination of everything we’ve already discussed, plus amazing customer service that you won’t experience at any resort these days. So whether you realize it or not, the number one thing people miss most about Old Las Vegas is: The Mafia!
I understand it sounds crazy, right? But the mob actually took care of their customers. Do you think for a moment that Bugsy Siegel would’ve charged you 10 bucks for a warm bottle of Aquafina that the maid left in your room? Please! When gangsters ran Vegas, cocktail waitresses were glamorous… Pit bosses took care of players… The comps were better… There was etiquette at the tables… And casinos truly appreciated your business!
Guests were made to feel important and even welcomed by name. And all of this slowly started to leave Las Vegas once organized crime was gone. Sure, they were skimming off the top… and you really didn’t want to get caught cheating… but they did value your business, and you didn’t even have to sign up for a player’s card!
