View source for The Western

{{Short description|Casino hotel in Nevada, United States}}
{{distinguish|The Westerner (disambiguation)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox Casino
|name=Western Hotel and Casino
|theme=[[Western (genre)|Western]]
|address=899 [[Fremont Street]]
|location=[[Las Vegas, NV]] 89101
|pushpin_map = United States Downtown Las Vegas#Nevada
|coordinates={{Coord|36|10|0.5|N|115|8|12.4|W|display=title}}
|image=The Western Hotel closed Oct 2012.jpg
|rooms=116 
|date_opened=1970
|date_closed=January 16, 2012
|space_gaming={{convert|8925|sqft|abbr=on}}<ref name="fastfacts-fromofficialsite">{{cite web |url=http://www.westernhotelcasino.com/ |title=Western Casino - Las Vegas |access-date=2008-03-02 |publisher=Western Casino}}</ref>
|attractions=
|shows=
|notable_restaurants=
|owner=[[Barrick Gaming]]
|casino_type=Land-Based
|renovations=
|names_pre=Western Hotel & Bingo Parlor 
|website= 
}}
'''The Western Hotel and Casino''' was a hotel and [[casino]] in downtown [[Las Vegas, Nevada]].  The {{convert|8925|sqft|abbr=on}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gaming.nv.gov/documents/pdf/sqr_foot.pdf |title= NEVADA GAMING COMMISSION database of square footage of casinos |access-date=2008-12-08 }}</ref> casino was owned and operated by the [[Barrick Gaming]].

The Western was the lowest rung of [[Jackie Gaughan|Jackie Gaughan's]] ''low-roller'' casino empire that included the [[Las Vegas Club]], [[Plaza Hotel & Casino|The Plaza]], the [[Gold Spike Hotel and Casino|Gold Spike]] and [[El Cortez (Las Vegas)|El Cortez]].

==History==
The Western opened in 1970 as the '''Western Hotel & Bingo Parlor''' and was owned by Jackie Gaughan and [[Mel Exber]].  At its opening, The Western was the world's largest [[Bingo (US)|bingo parlor]] with 1,020 seats.

Jackie Gaughan sold the hotel to [[Barrick Gaming Corporation|Barrick Gaming]] in March 2004.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hotel-online.com/News/PR2004_1st/Mar04_Gaughan.html |title= Jackie Gaughan's Four Downtown Las Vegas Hotel-casinos Acquired by Barrick Gaming for $82 million |date=March 1, 2004 }}</ref> The plans called for redeveloping the Western Hotel as a Latino destination resort. At the time, the AP said about the property, ''"On a stretch of despair that tourists in Las Vegas seldom see, the Western Hotel-Casino stands out as a beacon for the broke and nearly broken".''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.casinocitytimes.com/news/article.cfm?contentID=143819 |title=Gritty Western Casino Survives in 'Underbelly' of Las Vegas |date=30 June 2004 }}</ref>

In 2005, The [[Tamares Group]] acquired total control of the hotel and casino through a lease from Barrick. In 2010 the hotel portion completely closed and redevelopment still remains uncertain to this day.

On November 15, 2011, the [[Tamares Group]] announced that "due to decreased demand at this location", The Western would close on January 16, 2012.  Its future redevelopment is uncertain.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vegasinc.com/news/2011/nov/15/downtown-western-casino-closing-after-41-years/ |title= Downtown Western Casino closing after 41 years |date=November 15, 2011 }}</ref>

In March 2013, the property was purchased for $14 million by a company affiliated with [[Tony Hsieh]]'s Downtown Project, a campaign to revitalize the Fremont Street area.<ref>{{cite news|title=Tony Hsieh’s group buys shuttered downtown casino for $14 million|newspaper=Vegas Inc.|author=Eli Segall|date=March 21, 2013|url=http://www.vegasinc.com/news/2013/mar/21/tony-hsiehs-group-buys-shuttered-downtown-casino-1/|access-date=2013-03-21}}</ref>

The hotel portion was demolished in 2013 while the casino portion remains standing as of 2024.<ref>https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/local-las-vegas/photo-western-hotel-no-more/</ref>

==References==
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{{Las Vegas casinos}}
{{Las Vegas hotels}}
{{Las Vegas skyscrapers}}
{{Downtown Las Vegas}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Western, The}}
[[Category:Casinos in the Las Vegas Valley]]
[[Category:Skyscraper hotels in Las Vegas]]
[[Category:Hotels established in 1970]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures completed in 1977]]
[[Category:Downtown Las Vegas]]
[[Category:Defunct hotels in the Las Vegas Valley]]
[[Category:1970 establishments in Nevada]]
[[Category:2012 disestablishments in Nevada]]
[[Category:Defunct casino hotels in the Las Vegas Valley]]