Casinos Worth a Chance

No longer just places to wager a bet, Tahoe’s casinos offer a multitude of entertainment options including dining, shows, shopping and spas. Here are some local spots to test Lady Luck at The Lake:

STATELINE

MontBleu Resort Casino & Spa

55 U.S. Highway 50 | (775) 588-3515 | www.montbleuresort.com
MontBleu caters to the young and chic with its nightclub, blu, Opal Ultra Lounge, Onsen Spa, big-name concerts and 12th floor wedding chapel. Gaming highlights include No Limit Texas Hold’em tournaments and the Zone, a great place to watch—and bet on—all major sporting events. After a winning hand, try the fabulous steakhouse, Ciera, and if you lose, go with the buffet.

Harveys Lake Tahoe

12 U.S. Highway 50 | 1-800-HARVEYS | www.harveys.com
The Basin’s biggest gaming space (65,820 square feet), Harveys should be on any gambler’s short list. This casino tends to draw a younger crowd with its Hard Rock Café, Cabo Wabo Cantina, six-day-a-week improv comedy at the Cabaret Theater and live music on weekends.

Harrah’s Lake Tahoe

15 U.S. Highway 50 | 1-800-HARRAHS | www.harrahs.com
Pocket your winnings for dinner at one of Harrah’s seven restaurants: Try Gi Fu Loh for Cantonese cuisine or the popular Summit for food on par with the 16th story lake view. It’s also worth leaving the craps table to check out the spa, Reflections, the weekend entertainment at VEX nightclub and the shows at the South Shore Room, including Abbacadabra on November 29 and Air Supply on December 6.

Bill’s Casino Lake Tahoe

27 U.S. Highway 50 | (775) 588-2455 | www.harrahs.com
With lower table limits and a more casual atmosphere, Bill’s is South Shore’s value-oriented gaming spot. As the only local casino sans a hotel, Bill’s caters more to gamers than vacationers, and is the only smoke-free casino in the Tahoe area. Fear
not, other vices are still encouraged via slot machines, video poker, table games and cheap drinks; find food and televised sports at Bar 24 Taproom & Grill.

Horizon Casino Resort

50 U.S. Highway 50 | 1-800-648-3322 | www.horizoncasino.com
Considered the most family-friendly area casino, Horizon is home to the large arcade GameWorld, an eight-screen movie theater showing the latest blockbuster hits and all-age entertainment at the Golden Cabaret theater. Enjoy grown-up fun on the large casino floor or music and dancing in the Aspen Lounge on weekends.

Lakeside Inn and Casino

168 U.S. Highway 50 | 1-800-624-7980 | www.lakesideinn.com
The crowd at Lakeside is a little more low-key than its barand club-hopping neighbors. Known as the South Shore’s locals’ casino, it’s popular for the wide selection of $3 drinks,
prime rib at its Timber House Restaurant and good odds at the craps tables. The casino’s new restaurant, Latin Soul, serves up contemporary, Latin-influenced cuisine.

INCLINE VILLAGE

Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort,
Spa & Casino

111 Country Club Drive | (775) 832-1234 | www.laketahoe.hyatt.com
Though the Hyatt is a 24-hour casino, gambling is almost a sidebar to the resort’s other attractions: relaxing at the luxurious Stillwater Spa; dining on chef Mark May’s new Mediterranean- and Japanese-influenced menu while feasting on panoramic views at Lone Eagle Grille; and enjoying a cocktail or after-dinner drink around the lakeside outdoor fire pit.

CRYSTAL BAY

Cal Neva Resort, Casino & Spa

2 Stateline Road | 1-800-225-6382 | www.calnevaresort.com
Straddling the California and Nevada state lines, Cal Neva is the area’s oldest casino. Penny slots, the Lakeview Dining Room, the Euro Spa and a colorful history (Frank Sinatra was an owner) keep the crowds coming back year after year.

Tahoe Biltmore Lodge & Casino

5 Highway 28 | 1-800-BILTMORE | www.tahoebiltmore.com
Tahoe Biltmore has no shortage of fun, with hundreds of slot and video poker machines, over a dozen table games and entertainment almost every night of the week. The Breeze
nightclub fills quickly on weekends, and Café Biltmore is open round-the-clock.

Jim Kelley’s Nugget

20 Highway 28 | (775) 831-0455 The smallest in the area, Jim Kelley’s Nugget still manages to pack in video poker, the area’s “loosest” slots and live poker games five days a week. For beer connoisseurs, the Nugget stocks approximately 100 brews. Indulge in one of each to earn a spot in the Beer Drinkers’ Hall of Fame.

Crystal Bay Club Casino

14 Highway 28 | (775) 833-6333 | www.crystalbaycasino.com
Hosting several live shows weekly, often free concerts in the casino’s Red Room, Crystal Bay Club is the local music mecca. There’s gaming, of course—tables, machines and the popular Sports Book, complete with high-definition plasma screen TVs to track your bets. After a lucky pick, treat yourself to dinner at the Steak and Lobster House or the new Bistro Elise.

by Alison Bender