Nevada Club Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, Triblend Tee

Venue Description

The Nevada Club opened in 1952 after acquiring the Santa Anita Turf Club. It changed ownership in 1954 and was bought by Robert Van Santen in 1955, leading to a merger with the Fortune Club under the name The Nevada Club. In 1957, the Nevada Club, Fortune Club, and Western Union office were combined into a larger Nevada Club. The name changed to Diamond Jim’s Nevada Club in 1962, with a 75-foot marquee added. Owner Robert Van Santen started what became known as “The Great Las Vegas Slot Machine War” by offering generous jackpots and introducing innovations like bells and revolving-light beacons on his machines, sensory features that are used on slot machines to this day. The payoff tray below each machine was hollow, causing the noise of falling coins to resonate throughout the casino, drawing even more attention to the big winnings. The Nevada Club closed in 1969 when it was bought by Golden Nugget. Today, its property is a part of the Golden Nugget complex.