Every 2 or 3 weeks I’m making another post in this series, and telling you about the top states for RV friendly casinos. I’m not giving them a ranking order, but instead I’m posting them as they start to warm up this spring. So far I’ve listed Mississippi and California. This time we’re looking west again, to a state that includes many RV friendly casinos, but also has one area that is becoming less accommodating. That state is…
Nevada!
Home to the gambling capital of the USA, Nevada overall is a very RV friendly place. Near the southern tip of the state you have the AVI Resort and Casino offering both a large FHU RV park and free dry camping as well. Moving north you come to Laughlin, a city at the center of controversy the last few years. Laughlin is a haven for thousands of RVers in the cooler months, where many casinos welcome us for extended stays. That arrangement was threatened two years ago by what some would call strict and overzealous enforcement of health department regulations. A compromise was reached, new rules developed, and most casinos in Laughlin still welcome RV travelers. The process has become more organized, with rules posted at each casino covering length of stay, registration, etc.
Further north we find Las Vegas, formerly known as a very RV friendly place Las Vegas is becoming less so. It’s understandable as the metro area grows and land prices continue going up that an RV park isn’t the most profitable use of land. The same goes for large open parking lots. Still, there are several casinos with RV parks, and a few that do allow overnight parking.
Further north (and just starting to warm up) you’ll find Carson City and the Reno/Tahoe area. Both with some overnight and extended stay opportunities. In the hot summer months we leave Las Vegas and travel north to these cooler locations where we enjoy the combination of free parking, good casinos, and scenic beauty.
Scattered around the state there are many small and large casinos that welcome us. One tiny casino that we enjoy stopping at for lunch on our way from Las Vegas to Reno is the Banc Club in Tonopah. It’s a friendly place with character. And let’s not forget the casinos built for the convenience of the residents of Idaho and Utah in Jackpot and West Wendover respectively. There are too many around the state to list them all in the blog, but you’ll find all that I’m aware of on my website. I’ve created a thread on the Open Roads Forum for discussion, or you can post comments below.
Next week we’ll have another installment of “Gambling for the Casino Camper” with more talk about a subject we all love; comps!
Happy travels and good luck at the casinos!
Mac