Can the Wild Stories about Circus Circus' Early Days Be True?

I was playing craps late one night last month at Circus Circus and the stickman, who looked to be in his 70s, started telling what sounded like tall tales about when the place opened. He sounded like he knew what he was talking about, but I still find it hard to believe there was an admission charge to get into the casino and there were games with topless girls. Can any of that be true?

Incredible as it sounds today, yes, there was an admission charge to get into the casino. According to UNLV's David Schwartz, author of the definitive biography of Circus Circus creator Jay Sarno, the (short-lived) admission charge was $2, although a Circus Circus fan site offers a differing account, stating that the fee was 50¢ from 2 to 7 p.m. and $1 from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. (Perhaps Sarno hoped the levy would recoup the money he was losing by not having built any hotel rooms.)

With its novel carnival midway, trapeze acts, and wandering elephant, Las Vegas' first fully themed casino was designed to be kid-friendly, for sure, but it straddled an interesting line, with juxtapositions including a full bar built into a merry-go-round, plus peepshows and a "knock-the-girl-out-of-bed" game, both of which featured topless women.

And if that's not enough, the ground-floor casino could be entered from the second-floor midway by any of three means. The sedate could walk down the stairs, spunkier patrons could take a slide, and the really daring could shimmy down a fireman's pole. Schwartz believes the slide and pole continued no longer than 1974, when Bill Bennett and William Pennington bought Circus Circus. In one year, they turned the property from a money loser to a profitable casino, and by then the admission charge, topless women, slide, and pole were all things of the past.

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rokgpsman Sep-21-2021

History of Circus Circus

https://knpr.org/knpr/2018-10/circus-circus-part-1

Nevada Public Radio did an interesting series of articles a few years ago on the history of Circus Circus casino. You'll have to copy and paste the link above, or google search "knpr circus circus". Worth reading about one of the oldest Vegas places still standing. A circus midway for kids and topless entertainment for Dad.

VegasVic Sep-21-2021

Book

The Schwartz book on Sarno is great. Detailing building Caesars and Circus Circus.  He said one reason Sarno got rid of the admission charge is cab drivers threatened not to take people there anymore. Back then cabbies were often paid by passengers with chips. They chaffed at having to pay admission to cash in those chips.

Kevin Rough Sep-21-2021

Admission Charge

An admission charge isn't unheard of.  When Pennsylvania first allowed casinos, two casinos were set aside for "resort guests".  That eventually became you could pay a daily fee to be a "resort guest".  I actually paid $20 to be a "resort guest" for six months at Valley Forge Casino.  A couple of years ago, the state allowed those two casinos to pay a fee to the state to be regular casinos which they immediately did.

AKQJ10 Sep-21-2021

Admission Charge

When the riverboat casinos started in New Orleans, they had an admission charge.  I think you could only gamble once they left the dock, so in a way, you were paying for a boat ride.   The ticket came with a choice of some promo gifts.  We got a coffee mug.

Tim Risch Sep-21-2021

Trip to Circus Circus in 1973

I first went to Circus Circus in 1973 with my parents when I was 14 years old. There was no admission charge and I don't recall the pole, or slide, and I certainly don't remember topless women (trust me, at 14 I would have noticed). It was the best casino on the strip for the entire family.

But I do remember standing behind my Dad coaching him on how to play the 25-cent mechanical blackjack machines. And they had 10-cent ante 7 card stud. The slot carrousels on the main floor actually rotated and my mom won $25 in free quarters. A lot of fun.

Question of the Day - 21 September 2021

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