How Many Casinos Are in Reno?

Reno, Nevada, is known as the “Biggest Little City in the World” because it packs more excitement into a small area than any other city on earth. There are twenty casinos in Reno, all of which offer a world-class gambling experience. You can walk through downtown to find one or look for a spot that’s tucked away for a more intimate experience. 

The largest casino in Reno is the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino. The newest is Legends Bay, which opened in 2022. The city doesn’t have a “strip” like Las Vegas, but the downtown cluster of casinos and hotels is concentrated enough to remove the need for transportation. The climate and convenience make it a nice place to stroll and sample different casinos.

The Casino Experience in Reno

Reno is not Las Vegas. The gambling experience and fellow gamblers you meet there are typically a different breed. Where Vegas gets folks from around the world, Reno has a decidedly West Coast flavour. Southern Californians, tech moguls from Silicon Valley, and well-known actors and actresses have all been known to frequent the casinos there.

They call it “The Row” in Reno. It’s where the Silver Legacy, Eldorado, and Circus Circus Casinos connect together with an overhead walkway. The complex light up green at night like the Emerald City from the Wizard of Oz. There’s nothing in Las Vegas, or anywhere else for that matter, quite like it. It’s an experience worth paying for. 

The Silver Legacy has 85 table games. The Eldorado houses 1500 slot machines. Circus Circus is, as the name suggests, famous for its indoor circus and family-friendly environment. If none of those work for you, take a ten-minute drive to the Bonanza Casino for the best steak in town or visit the Peppermill Resort Casino, which is the #3 spa hotel in the United States. 

What to Do When You’re Not Gambling

You’ll never get bored in Reno, even if you’re not gambling. As the original home of the University of Nevada, there are several academic and historical attractions in the city. One is the Fleischmann Planetarium and Science Center. Built in 1963, it’s listed on the National Register of Historic Buildings. You can go there for a tour or just use it as a place to relax.

The Nevada Museum of Art, built in 1931, is one of the top attractions in the entire state. They house over 2000 pieces of art in their permanent collection, which dates back to the 19th century. They also have a suspended staircase that will give you one of the best views of the Reno skyline you’ll see either live or on film. It’s well worth the climb. 

Remember the 1996 movie “Kingpin” with Woody Harrelson and Bill Murray? That bowling venue exists, and it’s in Reno. The National Bowling Stadium was built in 1995, has 78 lanes, and can accommodate up to 100,000 guests. That’s not a typo. The centre has eight acres of floor space, a movie theatre, and several bowling-themed nightclubs. 

There’s so much to do in Reno that you’ll never have time to take it all in. One “can’t miss the spot,” particularly if you love animals, is the Animal Ark. It’s not a zoo. It’s a 38-acre wildlife preserve that houses wild animals that cannot be released or rehabilitated. There’s no forced breeding so that the animals can live out their lives in safety and peace.

Rules and Regulations for Gambling in Reno

Nevada is a gambling-friendly state where a large portion of its revenue is derived from casino activities. Their laws allow for all types of gambling, from slots and poker machines to live table games and high-stakes poker. The Nevada Gaming Commission has strict guidelines for issuing licenses but very few restrictions on games when the casinos are open.

This “wild west” approach to casino gambling is what has attracted the World Series of Poker to Nevada. Though currently held in Las Vegas, it actually began in Reno in 1969 as the “Texas Gamblers Convention.” Doyle “Texas Dolly” Brunson played in that first tournament and is the only player to have won the World Series of Poker twice, in 1976 and 1977.