Golden Gate Hotel and Casino First Opened Its Doors in 1906

Published on March 16th, 2024 1:05 pm EST


Given the sheer size of Las Vegas in this day and age, it is hard to imagine a time when there WEREN'T casinos in Las Vegas.

A time before there was a "strip".

A time before there was the Wynn, the Bellagio and all of the other casinos that are now mainstays in Las Vegas.

In 1905, there was practically nothing in Las Vegas.

In 1905, the land for the Golden Gate Hotel and Casino (first known as "Hotel Nevada" was purchased for just $1,750.

This works out to $61,712.56 in today's dollars.

The land was situated on the corner of Fremont and Main Street.

In 1906, the casino/hotel was opened to the public. The casino did very well, mainly thanks to the railroad boom, which brought people from all around the country to take advantage of the hotel's comfortable, well-priced rooms.

The casino served alcohol, of course, and working women were attracted by the deep pockets of the establishment's customers, and "Sin City" was born.

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It wasn't all smooth sailing for the Golden Gate Hotel and Casino - in fact, they needed to shut the doors to their casino in 1910 after gambling was deemed illegal in 1910. Prohibition nearly destroyed their business.

In 1931, gambling was legalized once again in Nevada, and the hotel was reborn under the name "Sal Sagev", which is Las Vegas spelled backwards.

The construction of the Hoover Dam nearby was a godsend for Las Vegas in the 1930s. Working men would flood into Las Vegas on the weekends, looking to take advantage of the city's delights. At this point, Las Vegas really started to bloom, and the rest is history.

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The Golden Gate Hotel and Casino (previously known as Hotel Nevada and Sal Segav) established a number of firsts in Las Vegas.

They were the first casino in Las Vegas.

They were the first casino in Las Vegas to use a large outdoor sign, which eventually led to the glitzy neon signs that are used today.

There were one of the first casinos to utilize a surveillance system to monitor pit games.

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The Golden Gate Hotel and Casino is truly an integral piece of the history of Las Vegas.