Vegas Down to 140 Slots After Cal Casino Retires Last Quarter Poker Games
Posted on: June 25, 2026, 07:11h.
Last updated on: June 25, 2026, 09:05h.
- The California Hotel & Casino has retired its last coin-operated video poker games, swapping them for modern ticket-in/ticket-out machines
- Only about 140 coin-operated gambling machines remain in the entire Las Vegas Valley, representing a tiny fraction of all gaming devices
- Vintage coin slots can still be found at a few select properties, including the El Cortez, Slots-A-Fun, Skyline, and Golden Gate
The sound of clanging coin buckets just retreated farther into Las Vegas’ distant past, as the California Hotel & Casino quietly removed the last of its coin‑operated video poker machines earlier this month. According to gaming analyst John Mehaffey of vegasadvantage.com, that leaves only about 140 coin‑operated gambling machines of any kind in the entire Las Vegas Valley.
The retired Cal machines were the last games on its floor to still accept real coins, Mehaffey reported. The casino has swapped them out for modern ticket-in-ticket-out (TITO) machines that take 25‑cent, 50‑cent, and $1 bets — keeping the same favorable full-pay “Jacks or Better” paytable.
Coin machines were once the dominant form of slot and video poker play in casinos. The metallic heartbeat of classic Las Vegas, they were loud, messy, and created a sensory identity that no longer exists.
They’re also incredibly labor-intensive, requiring coin-counting, dedicated floor staff, and maintenance expertise that’s disappearing as technicians retire. TITO machines, by contrast, never jam with quarters, run dry, or require a graveyard-shift employee to haul 40-pound buckets across the floor.
For longtime players, the shift is bittersweet, but nostalgia doesn’t pay labor costs.
“They just need Vegas Matt to play some coin machines, then everybody will want to play them,” joked Mark Ostermann, co‑host of the Miles to Memories Vegas, referencing the fellow YouTuber whose videos have occasionally revived interest in niche or old-school games.
The remaining coin-operated machines represent a tiny fraction — well under 0.1% — of all gaming devices in Clark County, — a rounding error in a town now dominated by digital reels and loyalty‑card tracking.
Where to Still Find Coin Slots
- El Cortez, downtown: The largest remaining collection of coin machines is a mix of vintage reel slots and video poker machines
- Slots-A-Fun, Circus Circus: A cluster of coin-operated slots is located near the entrance to this small casino, which was independently run until Circus Circus Enterprises (the company that later became Mandalay Resort Group) purchased it in 1979
- The Skyline, Henderson: This small casino on Boulder Highway preserves a bank of classic reel slots
- The Golden Gate, downtown: Las Vegas’ oldest continuously run hotel (though not its oldest continuously run casino) recently joined this small group after receiving one of the world’s last remaining operational Sigma Derby mechanical horse-racing games. The machine was moved from sister property The D with a ceremonial parade along the Fremont Street Experience on June 16.
The dwindling supply of coin machines has created a small but dedicated subculture of players who actively seek out the machines for the tactile experience — the sound of quarters hitting the tray, the physical act of feeding coins, and the slower pace of play.
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