Golden Gate Casino adopts all-electronic gaming floor in downtown Las Vegas

The Golden Gate Casino in downtown Las Vegas has shifted entirely to a virtual gaming floor, removing live dealers and traditional table games in favor of high-tech electronic setups.

The move makes the city’s oldest casino—established in 1906—the first in the area to fully embrace a digital gaming environment.

Owner Derek Stevens said the decision to move to an all-virtual operation reflects changes that began during the COVID-19 pandemic. “In some ways, some of this happened during COVID, and there wasn’t a lot of media around it,” Stevens said in an interview with KSNV. “But I think, with us coming out and announcing all of our dealers and our table games division, we’re all going to be moving to the Circa. That got a little extra publicity.”

Stevens said early performance has exceeded expectations. “It’s about double what our projections were, so we feel pretty happy about it,” he said. The transition aligns with the casino’s marketing campaign, “The Night Starts Here,” which targets both tourists and locals, particularly younger players.

According to Stevens, the initiative aims to engage the estimated 86 million Gen Z consumers in the United States who have grown up with digital gaming experiences on mobile devices and consoles. Electronic versions of traditional games, such as Virtual Craps, are part of the updated gaming lineup.

Stevens said the approach is intended to merge innovation with the entertainment culture that defines Las Vegas. “You want visitors to have that ‘FOMO’… so they’re thinking about their next visit before they even get to the airport,” he said.

Stevens said that several companies are watching the experiment closely to gauge its commercial viability. “I know there are a lot of companies looking at us to see whether or not this is going to work. But I can certainly say for us, here at downtown Las Vegas, the initial 12 days are all thumbs up,” he told KSNV Las Vegas.

While the model’s long-term results remain to be seen, industry observers are monitoring whether the Golden Gate’s fully virtual setup could signal a new direction for casino gaming operations in downtown Las Vegas and beyond.