Casino Reviews

We have visited the Golden Nugget Laughlin Nevada several times over the past few years, but never have actually stayed at their hotel. My wife and I plan to remedy that in a month or two. We thought that in preparation for our visit we should do a little research even though we have been their several times. The Golden Nugget is situated at the south end of the board walk along the Colorado River.  It is all white on the outside and has a tropical flavor as you enter the main lobby. There is a waterfall and tropical gardens with the check in counter to the right and Harlows restaurant on the left. We will write more about Harlows in a moment.

Golden Nugget Laughlin  – Visitors Enjoy this location

We spoke to one patron who is staying at the hotel. They have stayed at this hotel many times in the past and enjoy the hotel very much. The rooms are apparently clean with period furniture and most if not all look out onto the river which is a nice view to have. We will confirm this and update this report in the next few months. Stay tuned. The pool looks great too judging from this picture that we were able to find.

There is ample surface parking and there is a large parking garage as well to provide protection for your cars from the sun and any wind that sometimes comes up. We always prefer to park in the garage to protect our car from the hot sun. The parking lots are also observed by security with regular rounds being made by security guards.

Casino Facilities

The casino itself is on par with other casinos in the area, however the ceilings are low compared to many others which might bother some people. They have all of the common machines and tables that many people will look for and we also noticed a lot of penny and nickel slot machines. In particular they have lots of poker and keno video slot machines which the writer likes to play. Unfortunately there is a lot of people smoking and the low ceilings do not help with regards to removing it.

While we have only played at this casino several times for a hour at a time we have already received an offer for two free nights at the hotel, which we plan to take them up on during the spring.

Golden Nugget Laughlin  – Restaurants in the Casino

On the river side there is Joes Crab Shack that is on a deck that extends out over the Colorado River. On a sunny warm day this is a great place to spend your afternoon or evenings over a few drinks enjoying a meal and watching the boats go up and down the river. It is a casual environment, with shorts and sandals welcome. You can also observe the distant shore which is actually Arizona and in a different time zone as well.

Harlows is a restaurant that we have been to several times. The service is excellent and the meals are large and of really good quality. You get real home fries and not those frozen cubes that a lot of places like to serve. It is always busy and that tells a lot about the food and the service at Harlows Golden Nugget.

We will add to this post later this spring. In the mean time if you have stayed at the Golden Nugget Laughlin Nevada, please leave a comment. Let us know what you thought.

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This is the Hardrock hotel and casino in Biloxi Mississippi. It has been rebuilt since Katrina and totally fits the brand. It is a smaller hotel as far as casino hotels go. However, they have all of the decors of a typical Hardrock Hotel and Casino you would find anywhere in the country.  There is of course the memorabilia store. Also, many representative rock and roll items are displayed around the hotel and the casino. They have some great restaurants and there is a 50’s diner just off the casino floor which is kind of neat to dine in. We had breakfast there and enjoyed it very much.

Hardrock Casino & Hotel Biloxi

They also have the famous guitar out front! It stands maybe 100 feet high and dominates the street.  All of the Hardrock Hotels have this guitar symbol out front to make sure that you do not miss it as you drive by.

There is a nice pool at ground level. protected by barriers from the street and from the wind coming off the gulf. It is one of these pools where there is lots of cement and a few palm trees. Nothing really great to write about.

The casino is actually two floors above the ground to protect the casino from hurricane-driven waves crashing into the shore and the building. Katrina taught them this lesson and even then much of the hotel was damaged during that storm. The hotel and casino have been totally rebuilt and remodeled as a result.

This picture below is typical of the decor throughout the hotel and there are lots of things that may interest visitors and tourists spending time at the hotel. We have yet to stay at this particular hotel. However, we have visited it several times. We would like to spend a few nights there to experience the full services that they offer. One of these days we will get there. Biloxi itself is a nice place to spend some time with sunny weather and beautiful beaches to stroll along. The beaches run for many miles with wide sandy areas to spend time on and relax in the sun.

This site is really about the old style of casinos and the hotels that go along with them and not so much about sites for Online Gamblers. We have visited many of these casino hotels over the years and have first-hand knowledge about the hotels, the casino, the rooms, the restaurants, and of course the comps. We have not reviewed many of the online gambling sites and yet more and more people are playing various games online. Everything from poker to various slot machines can be played on a virtual basis of course for free or for real money.

I guess we are from the old school. We prefer to play at a casino rather than online. We like the ambiance, and the people around us most of the time. Also the offers of free rooms and meals. We also like to get out and see the sites that are usually associated with casinos and hotels. We like the big places such as Tunica, Las Vegas, and Atlantic City. Smaller casinos and casinos that are off by themselves do not offer many complimentary benefits to customers. They just do not have the competition and so why should they make huge offers of rooms and meals? It all depends on the competition.

Casinos run by local governments are among the worst when it comes to comps and payouts from their slot machines. We try to stay away from these as well. You may wonder why we are spending so much time talking about brick-and-mortar casinos when the subject of this post is Online Gamblers.

Online Gamblers vs. Casino Gamblers

Well, the answer is that when anyone writes an opinion about something, it is sometimes helpful to understand their point of view.  From a preliminary look, the online gambler is missing out on a lot of benefits that are just not available to people who visit regular casinos. Here is a brief list of what we consider are advantages that the online gambler might be missing out on:

• Complimentary free rooms at casino hotels
• Free meals at casino hotels
• Complimentary free shows at casino hotels
• Free play varies a great deal by the casino and probably for online gamblers as well
• Express comp’s for slot players to be used for meals as well as merchandise
• The glitter and excitement of a casino
• Free drinks at many casinos while you are gambling
• A variety of extras that depend on the level of gambler you are

When you take all of this into account, why would you want to waste time playing online? The odds of winning are thought to be less than the traditional casinos. Although we have never seen any proof of that either way. Sure it can be more convenient and possibly more comfortable to gamble online from your home. But we just think that online gamblers are missing out on a lot of experiences.

Online Comp’s

Now we have heard of people who gamble online to qualify for one of the major Texas Holdem tournaments. We even know of one person who did this after spending many hours playing and qualifying for a satellite tournament and them winning the tournament. But I guess for us we like the ambiance of a real casino and will forgo the online gaming experience at this time.

We appreciate comments from our readers as long as they are informative and will assist other readers. We will even approve links to your own site as long as there is a good constructive and helpful comment about this post.  You do not need to agree with us about online gambling, just make a well-written comment giving your point of view.

This picture is taken from about one mile away while standing on a dock. The dock goes out into the water for about a thousand feet. The Beau Rivage has located in Biloxi Mississippi along the Gulf of Mexico. The Hardrock Hotel & Casino is next door and both hotels are modern and classy. We have only stayed at the Beau Rivage which we enjoy very much. It is based on the better hotels in Vegas. Although it is a bit smaller than most Vegas hotels, it is very nice. There is lots of marble and a huge atrium in the entrance area.

Beau Rivage Casino Biloxi – Sandy Beach

Heading west from the hotel there are miles and miles of sandy beach to walk along. This was taken in the middle of January with the temperature at around 22c or maybe 70f. Beautiful sunny day with light winds!  This area was devastated by Katrina a few years ago. Many people are concerned about going barefoot in the sand. We did not see any evidence of material left from Katrina, however, if you are concerned, wear protective rubber shoes to protect your feet.

It is a shame really because the beaches go on for miles and miles with shallow water that you can wade out into. The water is warm and the sand soft. What more could you want? The Biloxi area is a nice area to spend some time in if you are looking for sun, sand, and water!

Beau Rivage Casino Biloxi – Winters can be Cool

The area of Biloxi can be cool in the wintertime. We have been there when the temperatures have been near 80 degrees. At other times the temperature has been as low as freezing with ice and even snow. If you are vacationing in Biloxi in January and February, you are taking a chance. You could up with bad or cool weather during this time of year.

We just had dinner at the seafood buffet put on by the Beau Rivage casino on Friday nights. At $29.99, it is a good deal with all the crab legs you can eat plus everything else! We enjoyed it very much , the food was great and so was the service. Most of the casino buffets are pretty good with lots of choice and really well prepared food. Some are better than others based on presentation, the decor of the buffet area and the area where you sit to enjoy your food.  The buffet at the Beau Rivage is definitely pretty good in all of these areas, however read on for more specific comments.

Beau Rivage Casino Buffet

This picture is not the best that could have been taken. However it shows the restaurant and the front of the actual Beau Rivage Casino buffet. It was a little pricey, not something you do every day, but well worth the money. We had crab legs of course, seafood gumbo, salad, various other foods from the sea and desert and coffee. There was all of the other standard foods as well that you see st these buffets. As usual we ate far too much food and although we enjoy buffets we really should stay away from them. They are just too tempting with all of that great food.

If you are staying at this hotel, a trip to the buffet is well worth the price. Try to be at the hotel when they are offering their seafood special. It will be more expensive than the buffet on other days, but it is well worth the price. the entire hotel is a really nice place to spend a few days. Take in the pool on the 3rd floor over looking the gulf. Enjoy drinks at one of the many bars and relax over a beautiful dinner.