Fitzgeralds Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, Triblend Tee

Venue History

Fitzgeralds Hotel & Casino was a long-time downtown Las Vegas favorite, perched at the eastern end of the Fremont Street Experience at 301 Fremont Street. The 34-story, roughly 638-room tower began its life in 1980 as the Sundance Hotel, a property tied to Moe Dalitz and operators Al Sachs and Herb Tobman, who also controlled the Stardust and Fremont casinos. In 1987, Reno-based Lincoln Management Group / Fitzgeralds Gaming purchased the Sundance and rebranded it as Fitzgeralds Las Vegas, giving the property its signature Irish identity. Shamrocks, green trim, and a cartoon leprechaun mascot defined the exterior and marketing, positioning the casino as a fun, value-oriented alternative in the growing downtown market. As Fitzgeralds, the resort offered a 42,000-square-foot casino with slots, table games, keno, and a lively sportsbook, plus multiple bars and restaurants, including a popular buffet and steakhouse. Its tall hotel tower made it one of the most visible landmarks on Fremont Street, and many guests remember the elevated views of the canopy and downtown lights from its upper floors. In 2001, amid Fitzgeralds Gaming’s bankruptcy, the Las Vegas property was sold to Don Barden’s Majestic Star Casino LLC. Barden, a Detroit-based entrepreneur, became the first African American casino owner in Las Vegas, a milestone widely noted in local and national press. He invested millions into renovating Fitzgeralds—fresh exterior paint, remodeled buffet and steakhouse, and showroom upgrades—helping stabilize and refresh the property in the 2000s. After Barden’s death, his estate sold Fitzgeralds in 2011 to brothers Derek and Greg Stevens, who already controlled the nearby Golden Gate. The Stevens brothers launched a $22 million renovation, modernizing the casino, rooms, and frontage. In 2012, the property was rebranded as The D Las Vegas, officially retiring the Fitzgeralds name but keeping the tower and casino footprint in active use. Today, while the shamrocks and leprechauns are gone, Fitzgeralds lives on in the bones of The D and in the memories of downtown regulars. For many, it represents a classic era of Fremont Street—value gaming, quirky theming, and a towering Irish-themed icon watching over the neon canyon.