We Finally Have a Look Inside Golden Gate’s “The Night Starts Here” Party

^{“The Night Starts Here” starts at Golden Gate around dusk nightly. (Photo: Casino Collective on X)} 

LAS VEGAS — A friend, we’ll call him Buddha tonight, and I recently had a fun night out in downtown Las Vegas. The party started and ended at Circa with a stop at Golden Gate in between.

I was disappointed when I first heard about Golden Gate's decision to remove live dealer table games earlier this year. It was home to my favorite craps game in Vegas, and no other casino has been able to match that energy. The casino, owned by Derek Stevens, decided to say goodbye to dealers and replace them with electronic table games. 

I was intrigued when they launched “The Night Starts Here,” which includes an hour of open bar and free play every day from 6 to 7 p.m. Still, I was cranky about losing the dice game where I’ve had so many great nights, so I stayed away.

There are slots-only casinos all over Las Vegas, but many of them are just big rooms filled with machines, maybe a bar, and a place to grab a bite. They tend to be neighborhood casinos without hotels for locals who want to play in relative peace and quiet.

After finally checking out “The Night Starts Here,” I can confirm that is definitely not the case at Golden Gate. While there may be locals in the mix, this is not a casino for those looking to chill out and quietly play slots, video poker or ETGs.

“The Night Starts Here” is a Vibe!

I’ve seen the Instagram hype videos, and I can confirm Golden Gate really delivers, and we were JAMMING!

The dance music familiar from Stevens’ other casinos, Circa and The D, was as loud as expected. The booze was flowing, and players were hammering the machines.

Pro tip: Grab a free drink before standing in line for free play. If the lines are long, you can refill before playing. Golden Gate begins distributing free play and wristbands for drinks at 4 p.m. for those who arrive early.

Golden Gate was packed. There were lines for complimentary drinks and free play ranging from $5 to $1,000. Buddha and I both received $10 in free play. Meh.

Before using the free play, we ducked into the VIP bar inside the high-limit slots room for drinks, where they serve them two at a time.I double-fisted Lagunitas while Buddha ordered some kind of pink rum concoction He scoured the casino looking for his personal slot machine. 

I sat down next to him and lost my $10 in two spins on Autumn Moon. Buddha’s $10 became $280 before he cashed out with a little less. Not bad! 

We had a great time, and so did everyone else inside the casino. Nobody seemed to mind waiting for free play or complimentary booze, and the atmosphere reminded me of old-school downtown Vegas, minus the craps tables.

“The Night Starts Here” isn’t something I’d want to do regularly, but I wouldn’t say no if a visiting friend wanted to check it out. My day-to-day Las Vegas fun is more mellow. 

Golden Gate Adds VIP Lines and Dancers

Buddha jokingly asked if there were dancing dealers, despite the lack of live table games. While walking through the property, I noticed a couple of raised boxes on the casino floor. Hmmm…

The day after our visit, Golden Gate announced new additions to “The Night Starts Here.” 

“After chatting with our guests, we’ve brought some fun updates to ‘The Night Starts Here’ experience," Stevens said in a release. "Including the return of the beloved dancers.”

Dancers from One Bar outside of Circa will perform at Golden Gate for the first 15 minutes of the party.

Stevens also announced that the VIP treatment we received would now be available to all Legend and Maverick members of Club One. Players receive priority check-in through a dedicated line along with access to the high-limit bar.

Early arrivals can also participate in a competition from 4 to 8 p.m. The top 10 point earners during that window will receive up to $1,000 in free play.

Club One Rewards

The Club One loyalty program is one of the largest downtown. It operates across three casinos: Golden Gate, Circa and The D. Club One offers a one-time tier match with other casinos. The program is fairly basic, but the point-earning rates are reasonable.

Players earn one Tier Credit and one Slot Point for every $5 wagered on slots and every $10 wagered on video poker. Tier credits at table games are earned similarly to most casinos and are based on game type, wager size and time played. Every $5 spent at retail or dining earns one Tier Credits.

Upper-tier benefits for Maverick and Legend members include:

Maverick (6,000 to 29,999 points)

• VIP check-in
• Room upgrade (no suites)
• Early check-in and late check-out (no suites)
• Priority restaurant reservations
• Complimentary self-parking (up $25 per day)
• Priority lines at hotel check-in, restaurants, and the Club One desk

Legend (30,000 points and up)

• All from Maverick plus:
• Fitness center access
• Complimentary limo to and from the airport
• Complimentary valet ($15 per day)

Shockingly, neither level waives resort fees like the higher status members of Strip casino rewards programs. 

While many Las Vegas veterans know the rewards program covers all three casinos, a surprising number do not. Players need a Club One card to participate in “The Night Starts Here,” and the benefits are useful. The free play alone is reason enough to pay attention.

New Dishes at Project BBQ

The original reason for our trip downtown was to check out new dishes at Project BBQ, the food truck outside Circa. The space has also been upgraded with new flooring, misters, and a retractable roof.

This isn’t fancy barbecue like the La Barbecue pop-up at Fontainebleau, where a half pound of brisket alone costs $24. But dishes at Project BBQ are fairly priced ranging from $15 to $20, and they deliver directly to the Circa sportsbook.

The menu features barbecue favorites served as plates and sandwiches, including pulled pork, chicken and sausage. The new dishes are solid additions.

While the brisket grilled cheese is always a safe bet, the empanadas were a pleasant surprise. They were light and filling at the same time. The grilled lemonade was a fun twist. It’s tasty, but skip the salted rim if you’re sensitive to sodium, like me.

As you’d expect from someone named Buddha, he sampled more dishes than I did. He loved the street corn and monkey bread dessert.

Not everything was a hit. While wagyu steak kabobs sound great in theory, they were a bit overcooked for my taste. It’s understandable that they wouldn’t want to serve bloody steak nubs dripping from a stick, even if that’s what I’d prefer.

I didn’t notice the brisket mac and cheese until I was on my way out. That’s now at the top of my list the next time I’m downtown, looking for comfort food after one too many drinks during an hour of open bar across the street at Golden Gate.