Slots-A-Fun Casino

Slots-A-Fun Casino is a casino on the Las Vegas Strip. It is owned and operated by Phil Ruffin. It is adjacent to Circus Circus Las Vegas.

Slots-A-Fun Casino
Location Winchester, Nevada, U.S.
Address 2890 South Las Vegas Boulevard
Opening dateAugust 1971 (1971-08)
Total gaming space17,700 sq ft (1,640 m2)
OwnerPhil Ruffin
Coordinates36°08′13″N 115°09′48″W
Websitewww.circuscircus.com/slots-a-fun
Former Slots-A-Fun Casino logo

Slots-A-Fun is one of the smallest casinos operating on the Strip, and once offered some of the lowest table-game betting minimums on the famed street. As of 2008, players could wager as little as $2 at craps and $1 at blackjack. The craps table was directly located at the main open-air entrance and, of all gaming tables in Las Vegas, was the gaming table that located closest to the traffic of the Strip.

The casino no longer hosts live table games. As of 2011, the only games were slots and electronic table games. There is a bar, a Subway restaurant, a gift shop, a mini-bowling alley, and an area with bar games, such as pool and shuffleboard.

History

Slots-A-Fun was opened in August 1971 by Jay Sarno, owner of the Circus Circus.[1][2]

In 1974, management of the casino was assumed by Ross W. Miller, a former Circus Circus executive (and father of eventual Nevada governor Bob Miller).[3][4][5] Miller was reported to be leasing the premises from the Teamsters Union,[3] which had provided some of the financing to develop Circus Circus.[6] The move came at about the same time that Sarno, having been implicated in a bribery scandal, handed operations of Circus Circus over to Bill Bennett and Bill Pennington.[6]

In 1975, gaming executive Carl Thomas bought into the casino as an equal partner with Miller, who died later that year.[4][5][7] In 1979, however, Thomas was exposed as being involved in casino skimming operations on behalf of the Kansas City mob. Two FBI informants claimed that the mob owned a secret interest in Slots-A-Fun through Allen Dorfman, though that claim was never substantiated.[8] Thomas's gaming licenses were revoked, and he was forced to sell his casino interests.[9] Miller's estate and Thomas sold Slots-A-Fun to Bennett and Pennington's company, Circus Circus Hotels, Inc. (later known as Circus Circus Enterprises and then Mandalay Resort Group).[10][11][12]

For many early years Slots-A-Fun was famous for giving out free bags of fresh-popped popcorn for early morning gamblers but these promotions have been discontinued.

Merger with Circus Circus

A blog reported that on July 1, 2009, Slots-A-Fun would begin the re-branding process in order to be incorporated into Circus Circus Las Vegas.[13]

References
  1. "Safeway, slots a fun gain nods". Las Vegas Review-Journal. August 6, 1971. p. 2.
  2. "Free ride (photo caption)". Las Vegas Review-Journal. August 20, 1971. p. 40. Little Torillo is the passenger aboard Tanya, the elephant, during grand opening festivities of Slots A Fun adjoining Circus Circus.
  3. "Gaming, bar licenses approved". Las Vegas Review-Journal. June 29, 1974. p. 9. Ross W. Miller was approved to operate 150 slot machines and ten table games at the Slots-A-Fun Casino at 2880 Las Vegas Blvd. South by the Clark County Liquor and Gaming Commission Friday. Miller said he was leasing the premises from the Teamsters Union, which owns the property and building, and he had no connection with any operations of the nearby Circus Circus Hotel and Casino.
  4. "Funeral services slated for veteran hotel executive". Las Vegas Review-Journal. May 27, 1975. p. 19. Miller relinquished the post in 1968 and bought into the Circus Circus Hotel later the same year. After leaving the Circus Circus executive post in 1971, Miller became the principal owner of the Slots-a-Fun Casino on the Strip.
  5. "Black Book members dies as truck flips". Las Vegas Review-Journal. November 6, 1993. p. 1B-2B. [Carl Thomas] became a pit boss at the Riviera in 1961 and got to know Riviera owner Ross Miller, the father of Gov. Bob Miller ... Later Ross Miller and Thomas were equal partners in Slots A Fun casino.
  6. David G. Schwartz (October 15, 2018). "The clown that saved Las Vegas hits a major milestone". Forbes. Retrieved 2019-08-18.
  7. "Chicago gaming firm probed". Las Vegas Review-Journal. March 13, 1975. p. 7. In other action the board recommended for approval the following non-restricted licenses: ... Ross W. Miller for 47.5 percent and Carl W. Thomas for 47.5 percent and William Barry for 5 percent in Slots-A-Fun in Las Vegas.
  8. George Lardner Jr. (October 12, 1982). "FBI tapes crux of bribery case against Teamsters president". Washington Post. Retrieved 2019-08-18.
  9. "Carl Thomas fined $50,000". Las Vegas Review-Journal. August 24, 1979. p. 3A.
  10. "Circus Circus given permission to buy Slots-A-Fun". Las Vegas Review-Journal. October 19, 1979. p. 8A.
  11. Hubble Smith; Rod Smith (June 6, 2004). "Tale of two companies". Las Vegas Review-Journal – via NewsBank.
  12. "Licensing bid rejected". Las Vegas Review-Journal. November 17, 1978. p. 5A. Meanwhile, the commission approved these items on its administrative agenda: ... A corporate name change for Circo Resorts Inc., operator of Circus Circus, to Circus Circus Hotels Inc.
  13. http://plusminuses.blogspot.com/2009/07/slots-fun-casino.html%5B%5D
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