Fremont Casino Wraps Up Casino Renovation

By Scott Roeben, on October 04 2023
3 min read 11 comments
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The Fremont Hotel and Casino in downtown Las Vegas has completed its months-long renovation.

The renovation had a budget of $50 million, and included opening a new food court, FanDuel Sportsbook and refresh of the casino floor.

It was mostly about the carpeting, though.

Fun fact: At the time we’re writing this story, the Fremont is 35 million minutes old. Before the renovation, it felt like it.

The Fremont casino opened on May 18, 1956, and we’re pretty sure this is the first upgrade to the carpeting.

We kid! Casinos get a lot of foot traffic. That actually explains why casino carpets are so busy, they camouflage stains and wear.

Fremont’s new carpeting is about the most camouflagy we’ve ever seen, and we’ve seen a lot of casino carpeting.

The Fremont, owned by Boyd Gaming, did its casino renovation is a smart way. Portions of the floor were closed off, and work was done in a phased approach, to keep guest (revenue) disruption to a minimum.

Boyd Gaming ordered the least Boyd Gaming carpeting, ever.

The renovation not only involved the launch of new offerings, but also gave Boyd the chance to overhaul longtime fixtures like The Bar (a, wait for it, bar) and Lanai Express restaurant.

The renovation added 10,000-square-feet (and about 120 new slot machines) to the Fremont’s casino floor, swallowing up the space previously used by its buffet.

The renovation has given Fremont some much-needed vitality and modernization.

Yes, The Restrooms were also renovated.

Previous plans called for the addition of a new hotel tower at Fremont, but that plan was nixed.

Fremont has largely kept the renovation of its rooms and casino quiet, for fear customers might avoid the place if construction was happening. That appears to have been avoided.

Bypass the Steak and/or Shake, go directly to Huey Magoo’s.

The Fremont is one of three downtown casinos owned by Boyd Gaming. The others are Main Street Station and The California. The Cal also got a major renovation a couple of years ago, using a similar M.O. (phased improvements kept on the down-low).

A $50 million Fremont renovation (our sources say the project went over budget, but let’s not get distracted) wouldn’t be headline news for the bigger casinos on The Strip, but it’s a big deal for Boyd Gaming. The company tends to spend very carefully after the Great Stardust Trauma of 2008.

Boyd demolished the Stardust to build the Echelon, but the project was halted when the economy crashed. Boyd has never really recovered, emotionally. Today, Resorts World sits on the site.

Today, Boyd Gaming has a solid (and more risk-averse) business, thanks in large part to its downtown casinos. In 2022, Boyd revenue from its three downtown casinos (gambling and non-gambling) at $215.3 million, up about 100 million bucks from the year prior.

The Fremont’s new sportsbook is operated by Boyd Gaming. The company owns a chunk of FanDuel, hence the branding.

The Boyd Gaming culture is slow and steady, so props to the company for investing in Fremont.

We love the new food court, and its outdoor patio overlooking a new pedestrian promenade connecting Fremont Street to Downtown Grand and Pizza Rock and Triple George.

Fremont casino is still ahead of the curve when it comes to value. You can still get a cheap shrimp cocktail at Lanai Express, and Fremont is home to the only Tony Roma’s restaurnt in Nevada.

Fremont casino is a mecca for dice players, and the Filament Bar is well worth a stop. Filament has what’s billed as the largest pewter bar top in the world.

Fremont’s new carpeting takes some getting used to, but we’ve grown to love it.

We’ll see you at the Fremont’s sportsbook!

Note: If you believe that, you must be new here.