La Bayou Casino

Love this place Angie on day side is great along with others. They call me by name and everyone is very friendly. LaBayou is always my first stop when I come downtown.

Friendly cocktail waitress, great drinks. Real slots with coins, very satisfying. Penny slots, Nickels slots and quarter slots. Awesome fun.

This is both the saddest as well as happiest place on earth. It’s old, pretty shabby inside with cocktail waitresses that seems rather glum. (The sad part). But it has old time slot machines (that still spit out your winnings) and one particular one paid us $ 75 on a 75 cent pull. (The happy part). Come here, enjoy the surroundings and the patrons it attracts, and make sure you grab a pail in the event you win!

Every year my friends and I head out to Vegas for CES and shenanigans. We stay downtown for the old Vegas feel, the cheaper hotels, the close walks between places, and for La Bayou and its sister casino, Mermaids.
La Bayou is the last in a dying breed of coin-​in coin-​out casinos. After the Mermaids and La Bayou coin guy retired a few years ago (never did get his name but he was always busy and was always present) I was afraid that Mermaid and La Bayou would switch to ticket-​in ticket-​out. Mermaids eventually did but La Bayou stays true to the spirit of gambling: buckets filled with coins and cigarette ash, cheap drinks, and a fun atmosphere.
My friends and I will hit La Bayou for a good couple of hours drinking cheap drinks, talking to the cocktail waitresses who are always very friendly, and waiting for that $ 50 hand-​pay when we hit a jackpot.
When our livers can’t take anymore we’ll head out on the Fremont strip and waste our money on unrelenting ticket machines whose fake coin sounds make you feel like you’re in a cheesy 90’s sitcom instead of a casino. Once we are nearly broke and wholly disparaged we head back to La Bayou, where we once again taunt our livers and gather dirty coins from the slot trays.
If you’re on Fremont you need to come check out La Bayou. It’s Vegas, pure and simple.

La Bayou is a hidden treasure on Freemont St! You can still play with coins and win with coins instead of a ticket. The football drinks are the best! Whenever we go to Freemont street I always stop in for my beads, and a Brain Wrecker. At least I think that’s what it’s called. We haven’t been back to Vegas since 2009, and I hope you still have those when we come back in February. One of the highlights of our trips to Freemont St! See you again this winter.

La Bayou deserves a ⁵⁄₅ rating because you get what you pay for and considering the niche market that it goes after, it fits the bill quite perfectly. My largest criticism is really rather historical in nature and cannot be held against the current owners in the slightest. Allow me to explain:
Make no mistake, La Bayou is a dive. A throwback to casinos from the seedy 1980’s days of Las Vegas. Actual coins are heard throughout the tiny slot house clinging almost musically to the ear reminiscent of days gone by. When Benny Binion and Jackie Gaughan were in constant battles over who controlled Downtown and when a cheater had a back room and a tack hammer to look forward to if he got caught. Of course, La Bayou is strictly a slot house so no table games to worry about. The staff us minimal at best but work hard to manage the property. The cocktail waitresses are a pretty hard working and borderline overworked group of ladies as they seem to work both Mermaids across the street as well as La Bayou. Drinks served are strictly low shelf, well only, but you wouldn’t expect much more. And they are served in tiny 6 ounce plastic cups, which once again, goes with the territory and you get what you pay for.
One point I did want to address is that the cocktail waitresses are nothing if not aggressive. As soon as you walk in, before you even drop a twenty in a machine, a waitress is asking what you would like to drink. One major tip I would say to ANYONE is that you are prepared to tip the ladies for the beverage. The fact that it’s a slot house doesn’t matter in the slightest and don’t even think of tipping one or two quarters. Though this casino may be a time capsule to 1982 doesn’t mean that inflation hadn’t occurred. Have cash or several quarters and tip the Vegas standard of $ 1 per drink. There. Tangent over.
La Bayou was once known as Coin Castle. It was known as Coin Castle for the better part of 25 years from 1969 through 1996. Here is where we come to my one and only major criticism of the property: I totally respect that times change and the need to rebrand and stay relevant are integral to business success, but why La Bayou? Why not leave well enough alone and keep that glorious Coin Castle King atop the tiny little building. He looked a hell of a lot like King Friday from Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood (with an oddly Asian eyeline) and he was literally an institution in Downtown Las Vegas. I do not hold this against the owners of course, but the nostalgia bug in me saddens me every time I go to the Neon Museum and see the once tall Coin Castle King that overlooked Fremont now on display in a museum instead of welcoming guests to a classic old Vegas throwback.
The history of this tiny slot joint doesn’t end there though. Predating the Coin Castle and the Monte Carlo Club, this site was once home to the very historical Northern Club. Mayme Stocker was the first woman ever to be granted a gaming license and she did so on the very land that the Bayou currently occupies (but not the same physical building, unfortunately). Nestled adjacent to the Golden Gate, the La Bayou is truly a throwback in every sense of the word.
The owners of La Bayou also own Mermaids and the Girls of Glitter Gulch strip club. Mermaids and La Bayou are pretty much run by the same team I believe and the girls that give out the beads walk back and forth across Fremont constantly.
La Bayou does not offer a restaurant but they do offer a simple change counter/​cashier that cashed you out in the back and a bar that offers value priced daiquiris and mixed drinks in oversized glasses. I would like to see the daquiris offered complimentary to players (even if only served in the tiny plastic cups) but beggars can’t be choosers.
Overall, La Bayou is worth visiting because of the history alone. Because of the true throwback to 1970’s and ’80’s Las Vegas. And because places like this are disappearing faster than you can say MGM Resorts International, and you definitely want to visit it before it and places like it all disappear and are remembered only in Travel Channel retrospectives. Grab a coin bucket, dig out those quarters from your couch cushions, and a pack of smokes and head out to Coin Castle… er…I mean La Bayou as soon as you can. And most importantly, don’t take anything there too seriously. Just have a good time and enjoy the passage into old Vegas. Tell the Spirit of the Coin Castle King that I said hello.

Rating for Daiquiries only, you won’t win raffle or slots. Pictures of suspicious winner out front, winner looks homeless.

I really love this place. A seedy, smoky hole in the wall casino on the Fremont strip. Its easy to walk past, or just not think its your type of place, but it truly is a fun little part of old Vegas. They still have coin slot machines which is the main perk, you almost forget that once upon a time there was a time when slot machines spit coins out at you when you won, instead of a silly piece of paper voucher. It really adds to the experience. We ended up coming up on some money from our favorite slot machines (not gonna tell you cuz otherwise everyone will wanna play)
The ladies at the daiquiri bar were super nice and friendly, offering any samples we wanted. We ended up going for some red bull and vodka in a football cup, its worth the money and isn’t as sugary as those daiquiris, which albeit are delicious, but will do more harm than good in the end.
We even got our number called to pull the $ 10,000 slot machine! But only won $ 10. LOL! Regardless, I love this place and will be back on my next trip Vegas!

We always see people walking around with the football drink so we came over here to check it out on Aug 28. The bartender was very nice, she gave us free samples and ended up getting Sex on the beach and my husband got strawberry and banana, they have a great menu but you can mix it up and create your own creation. The drink was $ 17.00 and for an extra $ 4.00 they give you a healthy extra shots which is about 3 inches which ends up coasting $ 21.00. Save your football because you can get a refill for $ 10.00 which is good deal.
Honestly if your not a heavy drink don’t do the extra shot because you can get wasted very quickly. Pace yourself so you can enjoy yourself instead of making a fool of yourself.
At the end of the night we went back and asked if they can fill it up with ice water and they were very nice and gave us ice water. The bartender was very friendly.

Go here! It is one of the last places on the strip using coins. It is super tiny but if you cash a 20 dollar bill into nickles you can plink away for hours. My sister and I were able to make a 20 last for 3 hours between the two of us and we probably had at least 15 drinks between the two of us in that time. Cheap cheap cheap. The staff is super friendly. It is my new favorite casino.

While on Fremont Street, I always have to visit La Bayou. One of the last places that uses coin machines, it’s pretty fun. We were greeted quickly, given beads and discount coupons for one of their frozen concoctions that hit the high 40 oz. mark. If you like to walk around, I recommend sharing one of these tasty treats with a friend or two as they make them strong. If you get one of the bigger drinks (40 oz or more) you can get refills at a discount as well.
There are also drawings every hour for cash prizes which is kind of a nice bonus.
For good drinks, and a good time at a small but fun place, this is worth a try.

They have the best slushy drinks here. Everytime I come to vegas I have to get one. I love the Piña colada but they have atleast 10 different flavors. The price for a 48oz is $ 18 and if you keep the cup it’s an $ 11 refill. I usually have one but they are so good especially on a hot Las Vegas day. You can also get an extra shot but it makes the drink watery and in my opinion a little too strobg and kills the drink. Upon entering you also get beads and a ticket to enter a raffle. It’s a little hole in the wall casino but the drinks are worth it.

La Bayou is a fantastic Las Vegas spot. A little known fact, La Bayou is actually the oldest casino in Vegas. Don’t miss this great spot on Fremont street, and be sure to try the daquiris!

Where to begin?.. my wife and I spent 3 days on Fremont St and we stopped in at least twice daily. WHY? This casino has a great, fun, easygoing vibe with great music and the best, friendliest service… before we even decided where we were going to play, we were given raffle tix and beads followed by my favorite question…“cocktails?”…we spent hours playing sunday and had a blast. when we returned, one of the cocktail waitresses (who worked the day before) asked me if I wanted my fav drink. and I was impressed by her memory… little things like that make a difference… they have really great frozen drinks and you can use quarters!.. old school fun with customer service that needs to be seen to be believed… check this place out!

I would like to say that the Margarita bar, they need to go back to school and know when people are drunk. I wear contacts, And when you add dry weather with smoke your eyes turn red. So this chick denied me of my drink and my friends because I looked like I couldn’t stand & my eyes were blood shot. What the f$&@!? I was completely fine. My boyfriend was completely sober and said I was good. Managers, check your employees!

Venue: La Bayou Casino
Décor: New Orleanian (I think that’s a word)
Service: Friendly
Environment: Compact, closed Knit
Food: N/​A (although they had food, I can’t speak on it)
Prices: Cheap Gaming, Slots!!!
Debbie Downers: Small venue
Conclusion: Come here for the powerful beverages as if on Bourbon Street. I didn’t see anything here that stook out like a sore thumb except that the venue itself is smaller than nearby.
Overall: C

If you are in Vegas, YOU MUST COME HERE!!!
This was one of the highlights of my recent trip to Vegas. La Bayou offers REAL nickel slots, frozen daiquiris, FREE drinks (if you are gambling, but it’s nickel slots), and a dive-​bar atmosphere. Upon arriving you are greeted by two ladies dresses in traditional vegas show girl feathers who hand out beads to customers. The beads really add to the kitsch environment of Fremont Street and La Bayou. You are also handed a lottery ticket to enter to win up to $ 10,000, which was another source of free entertainment.
The machines themselves work very well and it was so much fun playing actual coins and seeing them clink into the coin return tray. The waitresses were very attentive and friendly (Remember to TIP). I never had to worry about asking for another drink and the drinks were STRONG.
La Bayou is a great time for the non-​serious gambler who wants to enjoy their time in Vegas with cheesy promotions, strong drinks and a taste of whats left of old school Vegas. It’s just a good time all around!

It’s still as divey as ever here at La Bayou Casino. It’s run down, cramped and there’s dusty stuff all over the walls and ceilings. God knows I love this place! It’s one of the coolest places in downtown Vegas and they always get my business.
From the time you walk in the door and get your beads and raffle ticket till the time you leave, it’s non-​stop free drinks, cool employees and loose slots.
You know how most casinos only offer you free drinks when you are playing the $ 1 slots or better. Not here! I walked up, got some Mardi Gras beads and before I could sit down they asked me what I wanted to drink. I hadn’t gotten half way done and she are offering me another drink. These ladies usually come by about once every 10 minutes so drink fast and get your moneys worth. By the way, these aren’t pussy drinks either — you can taste the alcohol.
Their slot machines are usually pretty loose (not this time but usually). The machines are retro coin payers so don’t be looking for slots with tie ins to the latest movies or TV shows and be sure to have a cup or two handy for your big win.
Like I said before, I’m still loving Barbara (manager) and Mary Ellen (cashier). They are part of the experience and if they ever leave, the place just won’t be the same.
Man I want to go back there right now.

We came to town on Valentine’s Day to celebrate my youngest son’s 21^st b-​day (yes, it’s on V-​Day). Sadly, the drive from L.A. was more hellish than usual and we got to our condo so late that we skipped out on driving to Fremont. (however, we did find Ellis Island nearby and enjoyed that for what it is! see my review)
I really wanted to make sure my sons went down to Fremont where I knew we’d end up in Bayou so we came Sunday after breakfast (Omelette House– divine!). I’ve been here before (of course, back in 2001 I think the daiquiris were about ¹⁄₃ the price!). I really don’t enjoy gambling, but I do like to sit at a REAL coin-​op slot machine and pull the arm of the one-​armed bandit with my own hand. There is something very satisfying about plunking coins in and hearing your winnings clink into the tray. A classic Vegas experience that is hard to come-​by today.
I truly hope they NEVER get rid of those machines!
It’s a friendly place and a must-​visit stop on Fremont. We had a blast and were only sorry that we couldn’t come at night and get they whole «Experience!» We will be back!
*note to self: The drinks are stronger than they look.
We got the hurricane, white Russian, and mud slide flavors and enjoyed them all. I think I liked my son’s white Russian best because it tasted like vanilla ice cream. YUM!

What a terrible dump! And why haven’t I been here before???
I skipped out on the mardi gras beads on my way in — have more than enough at home. I did, however, accept the coupon for the buck off the BIG daiquiri. BIG. As in 48 ounces!
I wasn’t driving, was with a group of people I have no qualms trusting my life with and face it — sometimes 48 ounces of liquid «I don’t give a shit» are just what ya need! And when I decided to pay homage to the «I don’t give a shit» days of NOLA is when I started having a blast.
That — and the look on a friend’s face when he cashed about $ 300 from the slot he was playing and it paid in nickels! Got used used to the paper ticket — having any coin drop is a throwback… but NICKELS? Wasn’t even a nickel slot… so the look on his face was classic.
Yay — I will totally be back!