Reno Has a New Casino, as The Mint Opens Inside Former Harrah’s
Posted on: January 2, 2026, 09:44h.
Last updated on: January 2, 2026, 09:44h.
- The Mint Casino is open for play in downtown Reno
- The small casino space is located inside the former Harrah’s resort
There’s a new casino in Reno, as The Mint recently opened inside the former Harrah’s building.
Reno’s newest casino is also among the city’s smallest, as The Mint comes with only 18 gaming machines. The boutique gaming facility, which opened on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 27, is complemented by a retro bar serving up “inventive” cocktails like the Gold Rush, featuring Maker’s Mark bourbon, lemon juice, and honey syrup. The restaurant serves breakfast and quick bites like pizza, wings, and wraps.
With 18 gaming machines, it’s the perfect spot to sip, socialize, and play in a uniquely vibrant atmosphere,” The Mint website says, adding that it’s the “Biggest Little Casino in the World,” a play on Reno’s marketing tagline.
The Mint is open 24/7 and is located at 210 N. Virginia St. in downtown Reno. There are no table games or sports betting kiosks.
Gaming Returns
The Mint Casino is located at what was Harrah’s for more than five decades until the casino resort shuttered amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Harrah’s Reno was the first casino to bear the Harrah name, as it was opened by William F. Harrah on Oct. 10, 1969. It closed on March 17, 2020, as part of Eldorado Resorts’ takeover of Caesars.
The 928-room hotel and 40,000-square-foot casino sat vacant for five years, as a developer failed to execute plans to revitalize the resort into the “Reno City Center,” a mixed-use complex.
The structure, designed by famed Las Vegas casino architect Martin Stern Jr., whose portfolio includes the Westgate and MGM Grand, was sold again in 2023 to Gryphon Private Wealth Management and Madison Capital Group.
In March 2025, the new ownership group announced “Revival,” a mixed-use proposal that is to renovate the resort into office space, retail shopping, restaurants and bars, and a grocery store. At the time, the owners said casino gaming would not be included.
Madison has since opted to bring on Fine Entertainment to run a boutique casino, as the redevelopment plays out. The Nevada Gaming Commission approved a gaming license for the property in 2023.
Las Vegas-based Fine Entertainment operates several restaurants and gaming facilities, including The George Sportsmen’s Lounge, The Rockhouse inside The Venetian, The Oak Room, and BLVD Grille.
Unique Concept
Speaking with the Reno Gazette-Journal, Fine Entertainment CEO Jonathan Fine says The Mint isn’t seeking to bring Las Vegas to Reno. In fact, he says the boutique casino is more in line with something one might find in Nashville or Austin.
“I don’t think we’re doing what people would consider Las Vegas-style (entertainment),” Fine said. “I think we’re doing a Nashville style, you know, or an Austin style, but with more glam and glitz, and a little bigger than what you’d see in Austin.”
No comments yet