Golden Gate Casino: Table Games are Out, Open Bar is In

^{Guests got a final opportunity to enjoy table games at the Golden Gate Hotel & Casino, with the casino’s signature dancing dealers performing in the background. (Photo: Vanessa Alves-Johnson / Casinos.com)}

LAS VEGAS -- The Golden Gate Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas’ oldest operating casino, has officially retired all live table games and its famous dancing dealers. Between Sunday night and early Monday morning, the tables were cleared from the Fremont Street property to make way for new electronic dealer games and slot machines.

On Sept. 7, the casino held a special ceremony to mark the final day of live dancing dealers, which was announced back in August. Guests were able to enjoy table games and dancing dealers for one last time, while CEO and co-owner Derek Stevens reflected on the property’s history. The ceremony made for a bittersweet goodbye as the 119 year-old property takes a step in the name of technology.

Although the dealers will be leaving the Golden Gate Casino, they will still be dancing the Vegas nights away at The D and Circa casinos just nearby. “When I first came to Vegas, we brought dancing dealers as a new concept, and it’s run great ever since we bought it in 2008,” Stevens said. “We always wanted to focus on people having fun.”

Golden Gate Wants to Host the Party on Fremont Street

The end of live dealers at Golden Gate has disappointed both locals and visitors on social media, who enjoyed coming to the casino for the dancing dealers and high energy. Part of the appeal of table games for many people has always been the interactions with dealers, something that electronic games can’t replace. 

To offset the loss of table games, Stevens and his team are starting a new promotion named “The Night Starts Here.” Starting Sept. 19, the casino will launch a nightly open bar at their Center Bar from 6 p.m to 7 p.m with giveaways and free play rewards. The goal of the promotion is to establish the Fremont Street property as a reliable destination for guests to kick off their night before exploring the rest of Downtown Las Vegas.

Stevens noted that the promotion aligns with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority’s “Only in Vegas” campaign. Though that campaign has received mixed reaction on social media, Golden Gate’s promotion seems promising enough, considering it’s a daily happy hour. “If you can kick your night off with a jackpot, what’s more Vegas than that?” Stevens said.

Future of the Oldest Casino in Vegas

During the ceremony, Stevens emphasized that no jobs will be lost in the transition to electronic table games. Every dancing dealer and table game employee has been given the opportunity to move into new positions at sister properties The D or Circa in Downtown Las Vegas. “It is good to see that they did not step around addressing the workers. A change like this is bound to make people wonder how many people would be out of a job otherwise," one attendee named Darwin A. commented. 

The move follows in the footsteps of Circa, which Stevens says has already found success with electronic table games, but are other industry trends that likely also contributed to the shift. There is an ongoing decline in tourism in Vegas, meaning that casinos will do whatever they can to reduce labor costs and generate more revenue. Many casinos have even leaned into automation to appeal to younger guests who are more comfortable with digital play. Still, the Golden Gate faces the challenge of balancing efficiency with the lively atmosphere that made the property stand out on Fremont Street.

Stevens expressed optimism for the future of the casino in spite of the dramatic shift, pointing to electronic games and nightly promotions as a way to keep up the casino's lively atmosphere going into the future. Today's advances in AI and gambling technology could cause more casinos to follow in the footsteps of Golden Gate Casino. That impact could go farther beyond dealers, even jeopardizing the future of pit bosses, floor supervisors, and even cocktail waitresses who bank on the tips from the guests at live tables. 

No matter whether that vision comes true or not, Golden Gate's shift to electronic table games is a signal that Las Vegas casino operators may focus on using technology to automate aspects of the gambling experience. While some longtime visitors say they’ll miss the human connection at the tables, the casino is betting on guests making their night start there at the Golden Gate.