Bill's Gamblin' Hall & Saloon Las Vegas History: A Vintage Las Vegas Strip Gem

A Corner of the Strip That Stayed Small

The northeast corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Flamingo Road has witnessed every era of the city—gilded mid-century towers, neon-saturated decades, and the relentless rise of glass megaresorts. Yet for nearly a decade, one property at 3595 South Las Vegas Boulevard refused to grow up. Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall & Saloon was vintage Las Vegas pressed between giants, a 188-room pocket of the old Strip that felt like another time entirely.

From Barbary Coast to Bill’s

The building first opened in 1979 as the Barbary Coast, one of Michael Gaughan’s best-known properties, carrying the swagger of 1970s Strip gaming. Through years of ownership shifts, it eventually landed under Harrah’s Entertainment. On February 27, 2007, the Barbary Coast shuttered. Two days later, on February 29, 2007, it rose again as Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall & Saloon, honoring Harrah’s founder William F. “Bill” Harrah. The critical detail was what Harrah’s didn’t do: they didn’t tear it down or bolt on a tower. They preserved the compact casino floor, the modest guestrooms, the no-frills energy. In a Strip racing toward 2,000-room glass palaces, Bill’s felt like a time machine.

What Made Bill’s Tick

For budget-conscious players, the property was a revelation. Slots, video poker, table games, a race and sportsbook, and inexpensive dining all occupied a space you could cross in minutes. The vibe wasn’t “destination”; it was neighborhood joint at the busiest intersection in Las Vegas. Then there was Drai’s After Hours, Victor Drai’s legendary basement nightclub. When megaresorts dimmed their lights and the crowds thinned, Drai’s kept the bass thumping. It became a rite of passage for anyone who believed the real party began when everyone else clocked out.

Legacy in a City That Worships Scale

Bill’s closed February 4, 2013, and Caesars Entertainment launched a full renovation. The building returned in 2014 as The Cromwell, an upscale boutique pairing Giada De Laurentiis’s kitchen with Drai’s relocated rooftop complex. In 2026, Caesars partnered with Lisa Vanderpump to launch The Vanderpump Hotel, redesigning the same 188-room shell in a “romantic industrial” aesthetic. Through every reinvention, the small footprint held. In a city that equates ambition with square footage, that stubborn intimacy became the building’s defining character.

Bill’s may be gone from the marquee, but anyone who walked those compact floors remembers a different Las Vegas—one where you could find a table, a cold drink, and a genuine sense of place without first traversing a shopping mall.