Two nights of room unavailability, due to the CES, forced me to seek refuge in Laughlin. I've gone down there in the past, in similar circumstances. Here's my mini-evaluation:
Rooms: cheap compared to Vegas. Older hotels. Nicest: Aquarius, Golden Nugget. Ickiest: Edgewater, Pioneer, Tropicana.
Food: WAAAY overpriced, everywhere. Quality average to above average. This extends to immediately across the river. McDonald's 10 piece McNuggets...NINE BUCKS. LOL.
Gambling: virtually no decent video poker. NO meaningful promos. You can find $5 craps and blackjack if you look hard enough. Slots are tight, as per Gaming reports.
Comps: very, very, very easy, particularly bounceback. Minimal action generates room offers.
Poker: pathetic room at Harrah's, surprisingly lively room at Riverside. They spread some games, such as 2-10 spread limit and Omaha/8, that you don't find elsewhere.
So an offer or two from Laughlin casinos is a good ace in the hole if you find yourself having to fade a Vegas weekend when a room is $13,999 (plus resort fee). It takes 90 minutes to get there from Vegas. DON'T come between April and November--it's just too goddamn hot.