The Gold Coast Hotel & Casino in 2014

The Gold Coast opened its doors on December 21, 1986. It was the first casino built from the ground up by Las Vegas casino mogul Michael Gaughan, who already operated the Barbary Coast on the Las Vegas strip. Upon opening its doors, the Gold Coast was the first casino to have a movie theater in Las Vegas and was specifically catering to the growing “locals” market of the Las Vegas suburbs. It was the second major resort built on the west side of I-15, ten years after Palace Station.  The hotel has 711 rooms and suites, five restaurants, a showroom/lounge, a beauty salon, a barber shop, and a 70 lane bowling center. The casino has a 700 seat bingo room, table games, slot machines, and a Race and Sports Book.

Michael Gaughan merged his Coast Casinos brand, which included the Gold Coast, with Boyd Gaming in 2004.

The Gold Coast went through major renovations in 2002 that provided additional space for parking, restaurants, and gaming. During the renovations the resorts theme was changed from dark country western gambling hall to a more modern gaming facility.

Photo by: By John Phelan  [CC BY 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Tags: December, Gold Coast