Whatever Became of Slots A Fun and the Westward Ho?

Whatever became of Slots A Fun and the Westward Ho?

Last we saw for ourselves, Slots A Fun remained open, though it was a skeleton of its former glorious low-roller self, basically one big room with some slots, electronic table games, a small sundries shop, and a sometimes manned bar that served old hot dogs if they had them at all. If anyone has seen it more recently than a few months ago and has a different perspective, please update us.

As for Westward Ho, that's a low-roller horse of a different color.

In early 2005, it was announced that the long-time owners of the Ho had sold the place to a partnership between Tharaldson, a North Dakota-based hotel company, and Centex, a Dallas-based homebuilder; together, they had big plans to erect high-rise towers during the height of the Vegas condo craze. The Ho closed on schedule in November of that year, with a big crowd showing up to say goodbye. Over the next few months, the whole property was demolished.

In June 2006, Tharaldson bought out Centex and announced more big plans to develop a mixed-use project on the 15-acre site. The unnamed $1.8 billion resort was supposed to include 1,000 condo-hotel units, 600 residential condo units, a 600-room hotel, an 80,000-square-foot casino, and 200,000 square feet of retail. After paying $145.5 million jointly for the Westward Ho, Tharaldson paid another $170 million in the buy-out. No timetable was announced for the new project.

Only four months later, in October 2006, Tharaldson sold the site to Harrah’s (now Caesars) Entertainment.

Not too long after that, Harrah’s made a swap with Boyd. Boyd gave Harrah’s the 1.8-acre Barbary Coast property in exchange for the 24 acres it owned on and around the old Westward Ho site. With that acreage next to the Stardust, Boyd now controlled 87 contiguous acres on the west side of the north Strip, while Harrah’s controlled more than a mile of contiguous east Strip frontage, from Harrah’s Las Vegas to Paris Las Vegas (later, it picked up Planet Hollywood).

Then, on March 12, 2007, Boyd imploded the 49-year-old Stardust. The 28,000 tons of rubble were cleared in time for an early-summer 2007 groundbreaking for the $4.4 billion Echelon Place project, slated to open in 2010.

Echelon Place made it to the low-rise steel-girder stage before Las Vegas hit the skids and the Ho site languished starting in fall 2008. The cranes were removed a year later and weren't seen again on the site until 2017, several years after Resorts World bought the 87-acre Stardust-Ho site from Boyd for $350 million (March 2013).

The rest, of course, is Genting Group-in-Las Vegas history.

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RickZ Sep-22-2023

hello

test

William Nye Sep-22-2023

Miss Westward Ho

The Westward Ho was one of the first places visited in early 2000's.  Easy going, large hot dogs, cheap coffee and donuts and of course Elvis.  Really miss this type of place and the Slots no longer Fun!

Raymond Ray Sep-22-2023

The "HO"

Stayed there a couple times. They came to St. Louis once in a "time share like" pitch. They offered a stay, slot tournament and some other things. I don't remembered what they charged for this but it wasn't very expensive. I decided to give it a try. I HAD A GREAT TIME😁😁😁😁. When they opened the casino in St. Louis, one of the bosses told us a story about something that happened there once. This craps player was being an ass. Making noise, abusing the other players and dealers. The then threw in $20 and shouted "I want $20 outside". The box man grabbed the money and said " There's your $20 outside" and threw it out on the street.

Reno Faoro Sep-22-2023

grub steak dinner

for low rollers - a GEM ! YEARLY STEAK DINNERS IN BACK , MANY BBQ GRILLS  GOIN , AND CASINO MANAGER BILLY BUCK (REAL NAME ) WAS A PRINCE . AHHH, MEMORIES -  ALL GOOD .

Linda Hyatt Sep-22-2023

Linda H.

I miss the Westward Ho.  Loved playing the Triple 7's in the back of the building when you used actual silver $$$'s to gamble with. The Westward Ho, Circus Circus, Slot A Fun, The Stardust, and Silver Slipper were are favorites!!! Lot's of WIN's at those casinos back in the day!!!

Glenn Leonberger Sep-22-2023

Great Westward Ho Memories of my First "Big" Win

On my first solo trip to Vegas and I took a BJ class where I got a strategy card.  I sat down at a quarter BJ machine so I could get comfortable without bothering anyone. There was a 5 coin max, but you could let it ride if you had less 100 coins


After 30 minutes or so, I was about even and got 4 wins in a row.  When I went to hit the collect button I accidentally hit deal and the cards started coming out.  I was amazed when I got a natural blackjack.  That meant after 5 hands my $1.25 turned into $40.  Needless to say I was pretty excited and my "not yet LVA educated" brain s1urmised that I could get 5 wins a row before losing $40.  With that concept in mind I let it ride all night.  I was over $500 when I was dealt 4 Aces for a 1250 coin jackpot.  The guy next to.me was so excited for me that he gave me his W Ho hat as a memento.   At the end of the night I was over $900 ahead and since all but my jackpot was in quarters, it took over 30 minutes to get it all counted. 


What a nig

Ted Born Sep-22-2023

Slots-A-Fun was the very first casino I set foot into

It was my first ever trip to Las Vegas and I was a 21 year old whippersnapper.  Went to a bank of nickel slots and I wasn't even in there ten minutes when I was asked for my ID.  Happened in every casino I went into during that trip.  Sometimes more than once at the same casino.

sunny78 Sep-22-2023

good times

My wife and I would go to both places in the mid 90's. Remember the great strawberry shortcake, ribs, and the large cheap margarita at the Westward Ho. Also spent many a nights playing at slots of fun, really liked the small feel and the open air nature of it. Cheap bottled beer there also!

Robert Dietz Sep-22-2023

Missing the Ho

When I'd grab a seat at the Stardust early Saturday mornings during college football seasons, I'd have hours to kill before the games kicked off. I'd walk over to the Ho and grab something to eat while putting a few dollars into the bank of 25-cent 9/6 video poker progressives near the front. Those were the days.

PaulaNH Sep-22-2023

The HO, etc….

First time to LV, stayed at the HO. Got my first royal flush on a 25€ 9/6 machine near the check in desk. They had full pay Jack, progressive, deuces wild and jokers wild. Got invited to every promo until they closed. Loved the singing omelet cooker at weekend brunches. Loved the Ho, Sluts-A-Lot, the Stardust and The Frontier. Such fond (and fun and profitable) good times. Went once after the pandemic, stayed at another Favorite haunt, the Fremont. Haven’t been back since and don’t plan to ever return. You just can’t go back “sigh”.

Wilbur Kookmeyer Sep-22-2023

Wilbur Kookmeyer

So basically Boyd traded Park Place for Baltic & Mediterranean Ave.

David Tschappat Sep-22-2023

Remembering the "Ho"

One of first trips (1990) to Las Vegas staying at places like the Stardust, San Remo, Vegas World and The Ho were all great bargains, deals and cheap (but satisfying) eats. 99 cent strawberry shortcake, friendly omelet chef, one of a kind slots and full pay video poker in a small but friendly casino. The Ho even opened a second small casino in the back only to close it when it was sold. Sorely missed.......

Jeff Sep-22-2023

Slots-a-Popcorn

I used to stay at the Stardust and Riv. At least once a day, I'd walk through Slots-a-Fun and pick-up a bag or two of their excellent freshly popped free popcorn that they always had sitting on top of a counter of their greasy spoon snack bar. No coupon needed. You didn't even have to ask anyone for it.

As for the 'Ho, I've seen videos of its last day. Loyal longtime fans formed a conga line -- I think that's what it was called -- and marched or danced through the place and out the front door, some laughing, some crying.

Since I won't be paying $50 a year (interestingly, the New York Times currently is charging $48 a year for a bit more than what LVA offers, lol) for the QoD and don't need the coupons, I will now form a conga line of one and march out of the LVA building with maybe a tear or two, not so much for the loss of the QoD, but more for what has happened to a town I used to love.

Raymond Sep-23-2023

Trying to Remember

Did either of these two places have a craps table very near the entrance, which in turn was right by the sidewalk along the street?

I ask because that's what I remember about my first time at a craps table.  It was a weekday afternoon in 1982 IIRC, and two probably bored old guys (probably younger than I am now) walked me through patiently--what to bet, when to bet, how to bet, when to buy in, what the payoffs are, and all the points of etiquette that few know or observe now.

I remember cars whizzing by, maybe 20-30 feet away.

Or maybe my memory is shot all to heck.

Question of the Day - 22 September 2023

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