ONLINE GAMBLING AND CASINO GUIDE

Paris and the Venetian aren’t the only fake European cities within the confines of Clark County, Nevada.

An often overlooked (if not the most overlooked) resort destination in Las Vegas is a place known as Lake Las Vegas.

The reason for its relative obscurity is probably explained by the 25 mile drive from Lake Las Vegas to Planet Hollywood.   I actually clocked it on the odometer.  Throw traffic into the equation, and you have a solid 60-90 minute drive.

Depending on how much you like faux-Europe, it may or may not be worth it.

Lake Las Vegas is technically in Henderson, and is also called “The Lake Las Vegas Resort”.   The primary objective of the resort is to create a “Mediterranean” theme for residents and visitors alike.  From what I understand, the place is supposed to resemble Tuscany, and I guess it does to some extent.

The lake itself has a shoreline of 10 miles, and covers 320 acres.  The entire thing was manmade, and was initially conceived in the late 1960’s as a resort destination and an upscale residential community.   It has gone through periods of waxing and waning popularity over the decades, pretty much in parallel with that of Las Vegas as a whole.  Last year one of the primary developers of the Lake was forced to declare Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

The primary casino in this “city” of Lake Las Vegas is “Casino MonteLago”.  While architecturally interesting from the outside, it’s quite small and nondescript on the inside.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, but visually … a casino is a casino is a casino.  There is only so much you can do with a room once you have filled it with slot machines and Blackjack tables.  Sure, the mural behind the Wheel of Fortune machine is nice, but that’s of no consolation when I’ve just lost $100 in under an hour.  I think people care about casino floor design for the first 15 minutes.  After that, it is of little consequence to the average gambler.

While not visually pecker-straightening, Casino MonteLago is actually a very good gambler’s casino.  I  encountered several full-pay VP machines, and Blackjack was $5 3:2 soft 17.  Given the lack of competition, and the pretense of the neighborhood … they could probably get away with $25 minimums.

Or maybe not.

The emptiness of the casino was a little awkward, and all eyes were on me when I passed the gaming tables.  I felt bad, so I sat down at an empty table, bought in for a C, and played the minimum just to give the dealer something to do.   The card slinger was nice, but seemed a little bored dealing heads-up.

My dog was being walked, and I didn’t have a ton of time so I hit, stood, and doubled for only twenty minutes. I made $25 for my efforts, tipped out $10 at the end, and walked away with gas money.  It wasn’t a terribly notable gambling session, but they can’t all be spine tingling thrillers.

As a residential neighborhood, Lake Las Vegas is about as upscale as they come.  Celine Dion used to live here during her run at Caesars, and she used to commute to The Strip by helicopter.  You know you are in the good part of town when your neighbor makes their daily commute in an aircraft.

They also emphasize privacy and security.  19 separate gated communities have been developed around the Lake, and they are all pretty heavily sealed and guarded against pedestrian and vehicular traffic.

Even though I’ve lived here for awhile, this was only my 4th trip to Lake Las Vegas.   The last time I went,  it was 118 degrees, and the smell of boiling turds in nearby Lake Mead, coupled with my skin frying one epidermal layer after another was less than enjoyable.

The primary thing this place simply cannot recreate from the real Mediterranean, is the climate.  Unfortunately, that is arguably the most important part of the Mediterranean experience.

78 degrees and sunny was about as close as I was going to get for the next 6 months, so on this particular day, the Tuscany vibe was working.

Lake Las Vegas has its own “village” (MonteLago Village) which has a wide variety of dining options and shopping venues, but unfortunately, many of the storefronts are also vacant.   It also has a small marina where you can rent small boats and cruise the lake.  There was not much action in the marina yesterday, but it sure looked nice.

Speaking of looks, these neighborhoods are about as attractive as you will find in the USA.  Lake Las Vegas is a very, very  “pretty” place, it just lacks compelling reasons for mass commercial tourism.

The one exception is golf.   The course is renowned.   There are a few upscale hotels in Lake Las Vegas, and they are primarily utilized by the golfing crowd.  The Lake Las Vegas Golf Course is considered a “must play” for every serious golf player on planet earth.  I am acquainted with a professional female golfer who bought a property in LLV simply for its proximity to the links.  She informs me that the course is one of the best in the world.  I have spoken to many other golfers who vociferously dispute that claim.   As a non-golfer myself,  all I can do is listen to the varying opinions, because I personally don’t see myself whacking my white balls by the lake anytime soon.  Unless … never mind, it’s not important.

Anyway, Lake Las Vegas is actually a very nice  getaway.   It’s absolutely a place that you would not expect in the middle of the Mojave Desert.  Even though it outwardly drips of pretense, it is laid back, relaxed, and every merchant and employee I encountered was friendly.  We spent a few hours walking around the village, browsing through stores, gambling, letting the dog chase weird looking birds, and we felt far removed from the rat race 20 miles to the West.  It was peaceful and serene.  This place is to Las Vegas what Palm Springs is to LA.  A day trip to the middle of nowhere, with a completely different feel from its primary metro area.

Is it worth the visit?

Absolutely.  At least once.  I doubt the Lake is ever going to become a primary destination for the masses, but as a niche’ day trip, I would go so far as to call it a must for Vegasphiles, and wannabe Vegasphiles. The place doesn’t exist to attract Joe and Jane sixpack.  It tries to entice a slightly more “in-the-know” clientele.

Whether you like the community or dislike it is of no consequence, but the decision should be made in person.

As for me, I will certainly go back. Probably not for a few months, but I will invariably return when the weather breaks in the fall. Sometimes they have an ice skating rink during the Christmas holidays, and sometimes I just want to get out of the smog bowl and be near a semi-clean body of water.  On that level, this place does it for me.

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