Rio Hotel and Casino Turns Former Poker Room Into 'Dragon’s Lair'

^{The Dragon Lair slot room features a variety of Dragon Link and Phoenix Link variants like Panda Magic and Golden Century. (Photo: Rio Hotel & Casino)}

Rio Hotel and Casino has created a new space for fans of the Dragon Link and Phoenix Link slots in its long-dormant poker room. The new “Dragon’s Lair” features several machines where players can enjoy two of Aristocrat Gaming’s popular slots at the off-Strip casino. Players can find this on the casino floor between the Canteen Food Hall and the William Hill Sportsbook.

The opening of Dragon’s Lair is the latest move in Rio’s efforts to refresh the property’s offerings over the years since Dreamscape took over full operations from Caesars in October 2023. Dragon Link and Phoenix Link are two of the most popular slot series in the country, so this room will put them together while finally putting the former poker room back to use.

“Dragon Lair brings together compelling game content and an exciting environment to create an all-new destination on Rio’s buzzing casino floor,” said Rod Turlan, president and general manager of Rio Hotel & Casino. “This continued collaboration with Aristocrat Gaming reflects our dedicated focus on introducing fresh experiences that give guests even more reasons to discover the new Rio.”

Aristocrat’s Popular Link Slots in One Place

The Dragon Lair is designed for players who enjoy Aristocrat’s Link games, built on the foundation of the Lightning Link games. These are known for their colorful, Asian-themed visuals with gold orbs and bonus features. Dragon Link features a Hold & Spin bonus that can be triggered when special orbs appear on the reels, giving players the chance to land additional prizes like free spins and bonuses.

The room includes a range of Dragon Link titles, including favorites like Autumn Moon, Panda Magic, and Golden Century.

Phoenix Link has a similar formula with even more jackpot opportunities and free game features, including Wild Multipliers and Twin Spins, on top of the classic Hold & Spin mechanic. The addition of the Dragon's Lair will allow players who want to explore different versions of the slots to have options all in the same place without having to search on the casino floor.

“We’re excited to collaborate with Rio to bring Dragon Lair to life and create an experience designed specifically for Aristocrat’s loyal players,” said Kurt Gissane, Chief Commercial Officer, Americas at Aristocrat Gaming. “By combining Rio’s vision with Aristocrat Gaming’s expansive portfolio of entertaining content, we’ve created a dedicated gaming destination that delivers energy, variety, and excitement.”

Reimagined Poker Room With New Purpose

Dragon Lair occupies the space previously used as Rio’s poker room, which was relatively small with only about 10 to 14 tables. The area was previously full of tournament players when Rio hosted the World Series of Poker (WSOP) from 2005 to 2021.

The poker room closed around 2021 while Caesars Entertainment was still operating the property. The WSOP’s agreement also wound down around that time. After Dreamscape took over operations in October 2023, the space was never restored to its status as a dedicated poker room. During the dead time, it did act as additional sportsbook seating and featured promotional displays for online poker. Video poker machines were most recently present in the area before being booted for the new Aristocrat slots.

Rio is joining a growing trend among Vegas casinos to create dedicated spaces for slot fans and those who love specific slot franchises. Palms Casino Resort across the street just opened a nonsmoking slot room, while Plaza Hotel & Casino has its own Buffalo and Mo’ Friends area with Buffalo slots and other Aristocrat games. These spaces give players a chance to stick with familiar titles or explore different versions of their favorite franchise. Dragon Lair brings that same concept to Rio, giving fans of Dragon Link and Phoenix Link another destination off the Strip.