Club Bingo and Casino, Las Vegas, Triblend Tee

Venue History

Opened by Milton Prell and Al Winter, Club Bingo was an early Las Vegas Strip gambling hall that operated from 1947 to 1952 on the site where the Sahara Hotel and Casino would later be built. Existing during the formative years of the Strip, Club Bingo represented a transitional moment in Las Vegas history, when modest gambling halls and roadside casinos helped lay the foundation for the resort corridor that would soon transform the city. Located on the northern stretch of the developing Strip, Club Bingo catered to a growing wave of tourists, motorists, and locals drawn to Nevada’s legalized gambling industry. At the time, Las Vegas Boulevard was still evolving into a true entertainment destination, and smaller venues like Club Bingo played a critical role in attracting visitors to the area. While bingo served as the property’s signature attraction, Club Bingo offered a broader mix of amenities common to late-1940s gambling halls. Guests could enjoy slot machines, table games, cocktails, and casual dining in a relaxed, approachable atmosphere. The venue emphasized accessibility and social entertainment rather than luxury, making it appealing to everyday visitors during an era before large-scale megaresorts. One of the property’s notable features was its Bonanza Room, a dedicated lounge and entertainment space that added nightlife and atmosphere to the operation. The Bonanza Room provided live music, drinks, and social gathering space for guests looking to extend their evening beyond the gaming floor. Like many early Las Vegas lounges, it helped create a more complete entertainment experience while reflecting the Western-inspired imagery and frontier themes popular in Nevada during the postwar years. Club Bingo operated during a period of explosive growth in Las Vegas. Following World War II, new investors and developers increasingly recognized the city’s tourism potential, and the Strip began shifting from a collection of roadside gambling halls into a corridor of destination resorts. Though relatively small in scale, Club Bingo contributed to that momentum by helping establish the area as an active gaming and entertainment district. The property closed in 1952, and the site was redeveloped into the Sahara Hotel and Casino, which opened later that year and dramatically changed the scale and identity of the north Strip. Importantly, this original Strip-era Club Bingo should not be confused with the separate downtown Club Bingo that opened on Fremont Street during the 1960s. They were entirely different operations from different periods of Las Vegas history.