How To Get Something For Nothing In Downtown Vegas

We would like to welcome our brand new VegasChatter contributer, Nick Holliday. A recent transplant from Chicago, Nick is firmly settled on the east side of Las Vegas. Nick spends most of his time and dollars as far from The Strip as he can since he works there all day. That means you can expect coverage of both off Strip and downtown finds. Nick loves punk rock, craft beer, decent whiskey, casinos, dive bars, and being comped which is fitting because, for his first post, he shows us how to turn nothing into something at the casinos of downtown Vegas.

There are so many possibilities when it comes to how a Vegas vacation will turn out. Maybe you win big and take some of the casinos� cash with you. Maybe you �break even.� Like the majority of thrillseekers, you will probably party and gamble nonstop until your vacation bankroll is spent. There is always something going on in this town, so what�s a visitor with hardly any cash in their pocket do when they want to have a little fun in Las Vegas?

Fremont Street offers a ton of opportunity for the average small-time gambler. The great promotions, cheap food, and cheesy neon reminds us of a Las Vegas that we have only read about. Where the Strip is full of luxury resorts and high-end shopping malls, Fremont is all about the gambler. That sits right with this low roller.

In our quest to get something for nothing, we started at the Las Vegas Club and headed right to the Players Club desk. New players are given five dollars in free slot play, plus an entry into a daily slot tournament at The Plaza. The tournament is five minutes of furious button mashing that pays out $30 in free slot play for 1st place and $20 for 2nd. On the fateful day that this writer sat in to play, there were only three other players, making the odds very attractive. Unfortunately, that still wasn't good enough as we walked out empty-handed.

Next stop was The D. They only offer $3 in free slot play to new members, but that did not stop us from filling up a bucket with nickels after hitting a Full House on our first video poker bet. We took this opportunity to score a free beer while the coins were pouring out of the machine.

Perhaps the best deal on Fremont Street, though, is at Four Queens. New players are given ten dollars in free slot play. Existing members that show them a players card from a competing Fremont Street casino will also receive that same $10 in slot play. In order to get the max bang for our (free) buck, we approached a $1 video poker machine and played two hands at max credits. We cashed out at $15 (but not before ordering another free drink).

Once you have a few dollars, let�s not forget that Fremont Street does offer some of the most generous odds in town. El Cortez boasts of offering 40% looser slots than the Strip and 31% less than the Clark County average. Call us a sucker for advertising but, after a few good pulls, we turned that free $15 from Four Queens into $156 at the El Cortez.

Also remember that you drink for free when you play, even if you are playing with the house�s money. So, next time the wallet is running a little low, head downtown, win some free cash, squeeze in as many comped drinks as you can, and pose for stupid pictures with both Paul Stanley impersonators. Viva Fremont Street.

(Photos: Jay A., Ashley V. and Giuseppe M. on Foursquare)

Comments (5)

Return to » How To Get Something For Nothing In Downtown Vegas

So is this your pen name?

Great tips!!

Hi Sugarnut,
To protect my identity, privacy, and career, I do indeed use a pen name.

...Throw these casinos a few extra dollars if you are concerned about future comps

As a visitor from England, I have been to Vegas many times, staying on the strip and downtown. The revamp of the downtown area has worked wonders; more to see and do, some great bars and still good value gambling. The El Cortez I particularly like, old-fashioned, down to earth value plenty of comps and friendly staff. I'm looking forward to my 2013 visit already!

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