Las Vegas Strip Bids Farewell to Tropicana on April 2024

Some things, for example, Las Vegas Strip Casinos, seem eternal, like they have always been and will always be right where they are. Until they don’t.

On April 2, 2024, Tropicana, one of the oldest of the remaining old-school Vegas casinos, officially bade farewell to the gambling scene, surprising late-hour players with an earlier shutdown of table games. Coincidence or not, the venue closed its doors just two days short of the 67^th anniversary of its opening.

Goodbye Slot Machines, Goodbye Table Games

After almost seven decades of entertaining players from all over the world, Tropicana on the Las Vegas Strip goes down in history.

Decommissioned days before the formal closing date, slot machines located at the entrance of the resort were the first ones to go. While Bally’s Corp set 3 AM as the closing time on the last day, blackjack, roulette, and craps were shut down at around midnight.

Despite numerous devices already displaying “out of order” messages, players still wanted to make the most of every minute before they abandoned the premises for good. Some guests were shooting cell phone pictures and videos to immortalize this significant moment.

Will Ross of Apple Valley, California was the last player to gamble at the now-closed Tropicana. His last bet was $3 into an electronic craps machine at about 2:45 AM, the same time the final shutdown was announced. Lucky for him, the game was extended, as dice in craps need to be rolled until 7 or 11 is hit.

Ross received a cash-out ticket for $4, which he opted not to cash, explaining his decision as follows:

“I think I’m going to frame it, put it up on my wall. It has ‘Tropicana’ right on the ticket with the date, so I’ll be able to remember this time here.”

Earlier in the evening, the Chill’m bar served a record crowd that wanted to bid farewell to this legendary casino.

Emotional Moment for the Casino Dealers

The swing shift of casino dealers gathered in the pit at around 1:30 AM for a champagne toast. Many of them dressed in Vegas Golden Knights, the dealers gathered to hug each other and bring home some souvenirs and plastic signs that used to adorn tables.

Walking from the casino floor after the shift ended, dealer Joe Simonetti said:

“It was kind of a special time. We just closed the pit, had some champagne, and said goodbye. Now we’re going to go to a bar and have a drink and move on with our lives.”

Elvis impersonator Jeff Stanulis, dressed in the King’s red jumpsuit and frequently stopped for selfies was also among those who wanted to get a last look at the property, commenting that “it was really nice to have memories here”.

The Construction of Major League Baseball Stadium- to Be or Not to Be?

The reason why Tropicana is shutting down its operation has to do with Oakland Athletics. A 10-foot wall will be built around the property, so that the tearing down could take place, making room for a $1.5 billion, 33,000-seat stadium for the Major League Baseball.

Aside from the $380 million public contribution that was approved by the Nevada Legislature, other financial details weren’t announced yet. On the other hand, stadium renderings have been released, which is why Las Vegas Stadium Authority Chairman Steve Hill is confident that Major League Baseball will take place on the Strip at the beginning of 2028.

Source:

“Tropicana on Las Vegas Strip gets final sendoff from workers and players”, reviewjournal.com, April 2, 2024.