Laughlin Casinos: A Colorado River Visitor Guide

The Short Answer

Laughlin is a Colorado River casino town in the southern tip of Nevada, about 90 miles from Las Vegas, where eight resort-casinos line Casino Drive beside the water. It suits visitors who want a driveable, lower-key casino trip with riverfront walks, bingo, poker rooms and sportsbooks instead of a Strip-scale resort corridor.

Visit Laughlin lists eight resorts: Aquarius, Don Laughlin’s Riverside, Edgewater, Golden Nugget, Harrah’s, Laughlin River Lodge, The New Pioneer and Tropicana. A ninth property, Colorado Belle closed in May 2020, and the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported in October 2024 that it still sat empty, so it is not part of any current trip plan.

This guide covers where the casinos are, how they compare on verified figures, how to get there when the nearest airport has no scheduled airlines, and what a sample trip budget looks like as of October 2026. Hours, fees, events and games change often, so confirm details with each resort before you go.

Laughlin Casinos at a Glance

All eight resorts sit on South Casino Drive along the Colorado River, which divides Nevada from Arizona. The table lists each resort’s address and one verified size or gaming detail, as of October 2026. Figures marked VICI come from that company’s portfolio page and may have changed since they were published.

The resorts are close enough to treat as one district. Casino Drive is the spine of the town, and Visit Laughlin describes the Riverwalk as a paved path connecting the hotel corridors along the river. Beyond the gaming floors, the visitor bureau points to river cruises, water taxis between resort docks, and more than ten miles of Heritage Trails along the northern riverfront.

Where to Stay and Play

Laughlin’s gaming mix leans toward slots, bingo and poker. Visit Laughlin describes Harrah’s live poker room as smoke-free with seating for up to eight players per table, and the Riverside poker room as offering daily tournaments across ten tables, as of its January 2024 guide. Poker room size and schedules change, so check with each room before planning a session around it.

Bingo is a local specialty. Edgewater runs a riverview bingo room with eight sessions a day, Riverside’s Bingo Paradise is open seven days a week, and Tropicana has its own bingo hall. For sports, Edgewater has the largest sportsbook in Laughlin according to Visit Laughlin, and Harrah’s has a Caesars Race & Sportsbook as an on-site amenity.

Smoking policies differ by resort. Visit Laughlin says the entire Aquarius casino floor is non-smoking, and Aquarius also has a high-limit room. Visit Laughlin says Riverside pays 3-2 on blackjack, and its King of Clubs Players’ Club, Harrah’s and Tropicana’s Caesars Rewards, Aquarius and Edgewater’s True Rewards and Golden Nugget’s 24K Select Club are the main loyalty programs.

Away from the tables, Riverside has Don Laughlin’s Classic Car Museums and a cinema, Laughlin River Lodge has Strike Bowl for family fun, and Harrah’s has private beach access, according to Visit Laughlin. Non-gambling options make Laughlin workable for travelers who do not play. The comps guide linked below explains how players club programs generally work.

Planning Your Visit and Budget

Most visitors drive. From Las Vegas, Visit Laughlin gives the route as U.S. 95 south through Henderson and Boulder City toward Searchlight, then NV 163 east for 19 miles, about 90 miles and 1.5 hours. From Phoenix it lists about 220 miles and four hours, and from Los Angeles about 280 miles. There is no scheduled airline service at Laughlin/Bullhead International Airport, only casino charters.

Those who fly into Harry Reid in Las Vegas can rent a car or ask about the shuttle the airport says operates on demand or by appointment. Once in town, resorts are on one road, and water taxis run between hotel docks. Check seasonal hours for river activities before you plan around them.

The budget below is hypothetical and uses fictional prices, labeled as such. It assumes a two-night drive from Las Vegas, 25 miles per gallon and $4.00 per gallon of fuel.

where: fuel = (180 round-trip miles ÷ 25) × $4.00 = $28.80; lodging = $45 × 2 nights = $90; food = $60; gambling budget = $200. Total = $28.80 + $90 + $60 + $200 = $378.80. With two sessions a day over two days, the gambling budget works out to $200 ÷ 4 = $50 per session. Set it before you leave and treat it as paid entertainment.

The Laughlin Resorts Compared

With no single objective ranking, this comparison uses one stated, verifiable criterion: the posted casino floor size and room count from the figures above. Only resorts with published square footage are included, and the order follows that figure, as of October 2026.

By that measure Aquarius is the largest, which matches Visit Laughlin’s description of it as the largest hotel and casino in town. Room count and floor size differ: Edgewater has a larger casino floor than Tropicana but fewer rooms. Visit Laughlin also says resort fees and drinks cost a fraction of Las Vegas prices, a promotional claim worth checking against current resort pricing. For the bigger-city alternative, see the Strip and Downtown comparison linked below.

Tips and Common Mistakes

Bring valid photo ID. The gambling age is 21 under Nevada law, and the statute also bars under-21s from loitering in gaming areas. Licensees cannot excuse a violation by claiming they believed a patron was 21, so expect ID checks, and do not try to avoid them.

A common mistake is planning around Colorado Belle, which has been closed since May 2020. Another is expecting airline service, since the local airport handles charters only. A third is assuming a fee or policy is current: confirm parking, resort fees and hours directly with each resort, because Visit Laughlin’s parking statement dates from October 2025.

Compare players clubs before you sign up, since several resorts belong to different programs. Set a gambling budget in advance, split it across sessions, and stop when it is gone. Visitors who also fly into Las Vegas can combine both trips using the Las Vegas transport guide linked below.

Quick Facts

Confirm hours, fees and policies on each resort’s official site before you visit.

Related Guides

Other destination profiles include Reno, Biloxi and Atlantic City, which show how different casino towns compare. If you are flying into Las Vegas first, read getting around Las Vegas and Strip vs. Downtown for the other half of the trip.

To plan spending, use the casino trip budget guide, and read how casino comps and players clubs work before enrolling in a loyalty program at any Laughlin resort.

Sources & References

• Visit Laughlin — Resorts & Lodging (accessed October 2026)
• Visit Laughlin — Map & Directions (accessed October 2026)
• Visit Laughlin — Casinos in Laughlin (October 2025) (accessed October 2026)
• Visit Laughlin — Top Things to Do in Laughlin (January 2024) (accessed October 2026)
• Visit Laughlin — Laughlin, Nevada: The Perfect Southwest Vacation (April 2026) (accessed October 2026)
• VICI Properties — Real Estate portfolio (accessed October 2026)
• Las Vegas Review-Journal — Laughlin entertainment (October 2024) (accessed October 2026)
• Laughlin/Bullhead International Airport — Passenger Information (accessed October 2026)
• Nevada Revised Statutes 463.350 — Gaming prohibited for persons under 21 (accessed October 2026)