UPDATE 2025: Slots A Fun has brought table games back, 97%+ Token Slots, and we recently had the best time putting down $2 hotdogs with $2 Modelos.

This piece will be an evolving work-in-progress, since it’s so difficult to find much information on record about the legendary oasis that is Slots A Fun, from all the over-the-top Vegas glamour. It’s still there, but it’s been treated as an afterthought by Circus Circus. So much so, that it seems to not even exist online, for the most part. By that I mean that clicking onto or online-searching of Slots A Fun produces mostly Circus Circus info. Breaks my heart.

A fellow disappointed individual with a walk-through from January 2023

Here’s a good recent walk-through from William Eddy On Location, uploaded around August 2022.

William used to be a bartender at Excalibur and talks about how the bar used to be packed and how you couldn’t even get a seat. The wheel of fortune game was replaced with a machine version, the table games are gone, etc.:

And another one from around October 2022, which turns into a slot machine demo of the Hot Stuff Wicked Wheel, Wheel of Fortune Triple Diamond, and Dragon Link Genghis Khan Slot Machines

Even the address on Google shows Circus Circus info instead:

Circus Circus, 2880 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89109
Floor 1 Circus Circus Hotel and Casino
circuscircus.com (slotsafun.com is unused and for sale for $2400. Gee, I wonder if MGM Resorts can fit it into it’s budget)

Here’s a walk-through video of Slots A Fun from Early 2022

Some Slots A Fun Walk-Throughs from Early 2020

Phil Ruffin Acquires Circus Circus and Slots-A-Fun

In 2019, Phil Ruffin, a well-known businessman and casino owner, made a significant acquisition, buying Circus Circus and its properties, including Slots-A-Fun Casino. This marked another turning point in the history of Slots-A-Fun, as it became part of Ruffin’s growing portfolio of casinos and resorts. The acquisition by Ruffin brought a new level of energy and excitement to Slots-A-Fun, as he is known for his hands-on approach to casino management and his commitment to providing exceptional experiences for guests. Under Ruffin’s ownership, Slots-A-Fun has continued to evolve, with new upgrades and improvements made to the facilities, the gaming floor, and the overall atmosphere. Despite the changes brought about by Ruffin’s acquisition, Slots-A-Fun remains true to its roots, continuing to offer a unique and intimate gaming experience for its guests. The casino is a testament to the rich history of Las Vegas gaming and the enduring spirit of Slots-A-Fun. The acquisition by Phil Ruffin is just one of many significant events in the history of Slots-A-Fun, and it serves as a reminder of the casino’s continued relevance and impact on the Las Vegas gaming industry.

A [narrated] walk to and through Slots A Fun in 2018

A 2016 Slots A Fun Casino Las Vegas Walk-Through

An tour of Slots A Fun Casino in 2016

A 2013 Walk-through with commentary from user Ivyoyo, (started from the Slots A Fun portion)

Hey! Actually still had pool tables and hotdogs (and hundred degree heat, of course)!

A little Something from November 20th, 2012

Hula-hooping and dancing to Elvis on the Slots A Fun stage, 2012

A quick look at the outside of Slots A Fun and Circus Circus, 2011

A quick shot of the Slots A Fun cheap foot long hotdog.

We’ll pretend we don’t see that it’s covered in french fry sauce instead of mustard, like it should be :) And that’s awfully brave of this person to get at that shrimp cocktail!

Ahhh. that Slots A Fun Carpet…

I’m on a mission to bring more awareness to Slots A Fun. So many fond memories playing the cheap roulette inside, the giant slot machine out front, the awesome tokens (that I wish i held on to), . Maybe MGM Resorts should turn this into a coins-only slot machine place, since they’ve been bringing slot tokens back in Circus Circus. And how about maybe just ONE table game? Put it front and center so that people wee that there’s always a crowd. Maybe bring back the cheap hot dogs? How about bringing ANY branding back is if it exists on it’s own merit and isn’t just part of Circus Circus! Ugh!!!

Here’s a walk-in and walk-through of Slots A Fun 2010

A view of the Riviera 2010, from inside Slots A Fun:

Slots A Fun from inside a tour bus, September 2010

A couple of quick low-res blasts from the past 2010. All you can eat Prime Rib!

A “pretty packed” Slots A Fun in 2009

Here’s one uploaded in 2008.

Although there is older footage of Slots A’ Fun on YouTube, This is the oldest upload I could find ( when searching “slots a fun” casino las vegas” anyway)

Check this roof leak at Slots A Fun that ended up flooding a live Craps table on Sept 8th 2008!!

The Slots A Fun Footlong hotdog with everything on it with a side order of shrimp cocktail.

From December 2005 (uploaded in 2019). Dude looks happy.

MGM Resorts International Acquires Slots-A-Fun

In 2005, MGM Mirage, later renamed MGM Resorts International, made a major acquisition, buying Mandalay Resort Group, which included Circus Circus & Slots-A-Fun Casino as one of its properties. This marked a new chapter in the history of Slots-A-Fun, as it became part of one of the largest and most prestigious gaming companies in the world. The acquisition by MGM Resorts brought a new level of investment and support to Slots-A-Fun, allowing the casino to continue to evolve and grow. Under MGM’s ownership, the casino received a major overhaul, with improvements made to the facilities, the gaming floor, and the overall atmosphere. These improvements helped to ensure that Circus Circus remained a popular destination for both local residents and visitors from around the world. Despite the changes brought about by MGM’s acquisition, Slots-A-Fun maintained its unique character and atmosphere, continuing to be a beloved destination for those seeking a more laid-back and intimate gaming experience.

Here’s a recent upload from video shot back in 2002 that briefly shows the outside of Slots A Fun

Jay Sarno and the birth of Circus Circus

Jay Sarno was a true visionary in the world of Las Vegas entertainment, and his impact on the city was felt far beyond the walls of Slots A Fun. Born in New Jersey in 1918, Sarno had a passion for hospitality and a keen eye for opportunity. He first came to Las Vegas in the early 1960s, when the city was still in its relative infancy as a major tourist destination. At the time, most of the casinos were located downtown, offering a mix of gambling and entertainment to a primarily local clientele. Sarno saw the potential for something different in Las Vegas, something that would appeal to a wider audience and offer a new kind of experience. With this in mind, he founded Circus Circus Hotel and Casino in 1968, with the aim of creating a family-friendly destination that would offer a fun and accessible gambling experience. Circus Circus was an instant hit, and its success paved the way for Sarno’s next venture: Slots A Fun. With Slots A Fun, Sarno set out to create a place where people could escape the pressure and formality of the larger casinos and simply have a good time. The casino was a true reflection of Sarno’s vision and creativity, offering visitors a unique and entertaining experience that was unlike anything else in Las Vegas. And while Slots A Fun may have been small compared to the mega hotels and casinos that would come to define the Strip, it was no less important in the history of the city and its evolution as a major tourist destination.

Jay Sarno, a visionary in the casino industry, revolutionized the way casinos look today. A gambler himself, Sarno was disappointed with the dullness of Las Vegas when he first visited as part of an Atlanta junket sponsored by the Flamingo in February 1963. He envisioned a place where guests were the center of attention and could escape reality for a few days, which he brought to life through his first casino, Caesars Palace.

Sarno applied tricks he had learned from building motels to create an impressive and attractive façade, using screen block and backlit lights. He emphasized a themed environment at Caesars Palace, where everything from the matchbooks to employee uniforms referenced the theme with whimsy and humor. This customer-centric approach, where guests were spoiled and given attention, comfort, and beauty, has influenced the design of every good casino built since then.

Sarno’s second casino, Circus Circus, initially catered to high rollers but also reached out to slot players, a burgeoning part of the business that others were overlooking. With more slots than any other Las Vegas casino, Sarno was ahead of his time, as Strip casinos eventually transformed into slot barns.

Beyond his casinos, Sarno was a colorful character, known for his marathon gambling sessions with best friend Evel Knievel, being accused of offering the biggest bribe in IRS history, and his love for the many pleasures Las Vegas had to offer.

While it may not be advisable to attempt to duplicate Sarno’s excesses, his career demonstrates the importance of having a feel for why people are visiting a casino in the first place. Sarno put the customer at the center of his space and designed the casino around them, and for that, he should be remembered as a key figure in the casino industry.

In 1963, Jay Sarno visited Las Vegas as part of a junket sponsored by the Flamingo casino in Atlanta and was immediately disappointed with the plainness of everything the city had to offer. The casinos were drab, the dealers dressed like clerks, and the hotels looked even cheaper than they were. Sarno, a gambler himself, believed that Las Vegas was missing the point and had a different vision of what it should be – a place where the guest was the center of attention and could escape from reality, even if only for a few days.

His first casino, Caesars Palace, reflected this vision. Sarno used tricks he’d learned from building motels in other cities, such as using screen block as a facade and backlighting it with lights at night to give it an impressive appearance. Statues and fountains were added to give the casino an air of elegance and put customers in the frame of mind to gamble large sums.

Sarno also mandated that everything at Caesars Palace, from the matchbooks to the stationery to the employee uniforms, should reference the Caesars Palace theme. Sarno and his designer, Jo Harris, did this with whimsy and tongue in cheek, building a casino that a Roman emperor would have felt comfortable in and substituting the individual customer for the emperor. The original Caesars Palace may seem quaint by today’s standards, but its customer-centric approach has influenced the design of every good casino built since then.

Two years after opening Caesars Palace, Sarno built Circus Circus. Initially catering to high rollers, he also reached out to slot players, believing that this was a growing part of the casino business that everyone else was missing out on. When it opened, Circus Circus had more slots than any other Las Vegas casino. This foresight was proven correct as by the early 1980s, even Strip casinos had transformed into slot barns with a core of table games.

However, the most important thing about Sarno isn’t what he did, but how he did it. He was a larger-than-life character who wasn’t capable of doing anything small, whether it was marathon gambling sessions with Evel Knievel, facing accusations of offering the largest bribe in IRS history, or enjoying the many pleasures that Las Vegas had to offer. Sarno understood that it wasn’t enough to know how to run a casino, but you needed to have a feel for why people were there in the first place. He put the customer at the center of his casino and designed it around them, which is a lesson that everyone in the casino business should remember.

Sarno’s legacy continues to impact the casino industry even today, showing us that it’s important to understand why people visit casinos and build one that meets their needs. When owners, managers, and designers get away from this basic truth, they start to go wrong. Sarno’s life and career are an example of how to create a casino that people will love and return to, and for that reason, he should be remembered as a pivotal figure in the history of the casino industry.

Ross W. Miller

Ross W. Miller was a seasoned gaming executive and former Circus Circus executive who brought a wealth of experience and knowledge to the management of Slots A Fun. He assumed control of the casino in the early 1970s, and his impact on the operation was immediate and profound. Under Miller’s leadership, Slots A Fun underwent a series of major changes and improvements, as he sought to position the casino as a leader in the ever-changing world of Las Vegas gaming. He was known for his innovative approach to management and his commitment to providing visitors with an exceptional gaming experience. In addition to his role at Slots A Fun, Miller was also reportedly leasing the premises from the Teamsters Union, which had provided some of the financing to develop Circus Circus. This connection to the powerful labor organization gave Miller a unique level of influence and bargaining power, and he used it to ensure the success and prosperity of Slots A Fun. Tragically, Miller died in 1975, but his legacy lived on through the casino he helped to shape and the impact he had on the Las Vegas gaming industry. His son, Bob Miller, would go on to serve as governor of Nevada, further solidifying the Miller family’s place in the history of the state and its gaming industry.

Bob Miller, the son of casino executive Ross Miller and future Nevada governor, wasn’t a fan of the casino concept proposed by legendary developer Jay Sarno at the family’s Sunday dinner in 1968. In his newly released autobiography, “Son of a Gambling Man,” Bob details his father’s gaming career which started behind an illegal bookie joint and burlesque club in Chicago before migrating to the fledgling Las Vegas.

Bob considers his father, Ross, a classic example of the type of gaming executives that existed in those days, who may have had ties to organized crime, but Nevada was a state of second-chance opportunities. Despite his son’s objections, Ross invested in Circus Circus and went on to own and operate three Strip casinos and have relationships with notorious figures such as Gus Greenbaum and Allen Dorfman. Ross Miller’s past nearly derailed Bob’s political career, as political opponents tried to use it against him throughout his career. Nevertheless, Bob embarked on a career as a lawyer, prosecutor, justice of the peace, district attorney, lieutenant governor, and eventually Nevada governor from 1989 to 1999. Today, Las Vegas celebrates its past ties to organized crime, making Bob’s rise to the governor’s office all the more impressive.

The Beautiful Slots A Fun sign in all it’s glory in 1990

Slots A Fun in 1988

Carl Thomas Takes Over

In 1975, gaming executive Carl Thomas made a significant investment in Slots A Fun, becoming an equal partner with Ross W. Miller, who had been managing the casino for several years. With the untimely death of Miller later that same year, Thomas became the primary decision-maker for Circus Circus and Slots A Fun, taking on a key role in shaping its future. Thomas was a well-respected figure in the Las Vegas gaming industry, and he brought a wealth of experience and knowledge to his new position. He was known for his innovative ideas and his commitment to providing visitors with a world-class gaming experience. Under his leadership, Circus Circus continued to grow and evolve, positioning itself as a leader in the highly competitive Las Vegas gaming market.