Golden Gate Turns 120: A Meticulously Researched Historical Overview, Probably

By Scott Roeben, on January 14 2026
11 min read 1 comment
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One of our favorite old-timey Las Vegas casinos, Golden Gate, celebrated its 120th birthday on Jan. 13, 2025.

We could not let this momentous occasion pass without providing the most exhaustive, authoritative history of this beloved hotel-casino we could slap together in 45 minutes.

Gird your loins for a largely unproofed perambulation through the history and legacy of the Golden Gate, padded with observations about Las Vegas and, at moments, the human experience itself. But mostly Golden Gate. We are very busy and important.

If you’re currently taking umbrage at our digitally adding fireworks to our photo of Golden Gate, you’re in for a wild ride.

13.8 Billion B.C.

The origin of the Golden Gate starts long before the first Las Vegas land auction of 1905. About 13.8 billion years ago, there was the Big Bang. This incredible event resulted in many complaints to the HOA. Then, 4.5 billion years ago, Earth was formed. A few years later, the next most significant historical event was a land auction in Las Vegas. We told you this was going to be exhaustive. You don’t listen.

1905

The first Las Vegas land auction took place May 15-16, 1905. The auction was by the San Pedro, Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad, which owned the land. Yes, the land was inhabited by the Southern Paiutes, but the railroad was the first one to say “dibs,” so that’s how the cookie crumbles. About 110 acres were subdivided into lots and sold in 1905. John F. Miller bought a key parcel at Main and Fremont, where he ran a temporary tent lodging business called the “Miller Hotel.” Miller named the hotel after an uncle on his mother’s side. The uncle operated a grinding mill to process grain into flour, meal or powder, which is a ridiculous level of detail to include for a “miller” pun. Anyway, it was a tent hotel. They used the term “hotel” very loosely in the early 1900s. They do the same now, especially in reference to Oyo.

1906

The Hotel Nevada opens at 1 Fremont Street. The Hotel Nevada was the first permanent hotel structure in Las Vegas and would be the site of many other firsts, otherwise this article would be two paragraphs long and you would be looking at a blank screen right now.

John Miller is seated in the buggy, his wife Rosa C. Marchetti is in the window. Marchetti was an immigrant who came to Las Vegas to escape an arranged marriage. Things were challenging for women in 1906. The first commercially available modern tampons weren’t available until the early 1930s, so women had to use moss or sea sponges. Hey, do you want this story to be exhaustive or not?

1907

Hotel Nevada gets the first phone number in Las Vegas, “1.” This historical fact is all the more remarkable because the phone had not been invented yet. At that point, telecommunications mostly involved “shouting and waving one’s arms.” Still, that first phone number was a big deal in Las Vegas circles. Guys totally got laid by telling women they could be reached at “1.” The woman would ask, “Which one?” The guy would say, “Doesn’t matter, either 1 Fremont Street or just call me at 1.” “I’m busy at 1,” the woman would say, fully cognizant of the fact this bit was heading down the “Who’s on first” rabbit hole. Mating was very weird in 1907, that’s for sure.

Golden Gate boasts one of only two Las Vegas mailing addresses we personally know by heart. The other one we have to know for Amazon deliveries.

You can see some of the hotel and gaming ledgers from 1907 in a display near Golden Gate’s check-in desk.

In 1907, what happened in Vegas stayed in this log.

1909

In 1909, Nevada enacted a statewide ban on gambling, where well-meaning politicians sought to clean up vice by treating everyone like five-year-olds, a practice still common today. Did the ban on gambling stop gambling? Of course not. Like today’s politicians, elected leaders in 1909 were morons. Everyone gambled during the gambling ban, they were just more discreet about it.

1930

John F. Miller died, a fact his wife and children ignored because if people knew Miller died, they might get the “ick” in the casino, and that’s very bad for business. So, the family of John F. Miller had him stuffed, with his arm attached to a small wire so he could wave at people passing by. This aspect of Golden Gate’s history has not been widely reported by other news outlets, but that’s because other news outlets are spineless yellow bellies. Isn’t it interesting how much the worst thing you can call someone has changed so much? At one time, calling someone a “yellow belly” was a serious burn. In “Game of Thrones,” people would start crying if you called them a “bastard.” For awhile, calling someone a “whore” was a horrific slur. Now, people use the term in their LinkedIn profiles. The meanest thing you can call someone now is “influencer.”

A hotel sign from the Sal Sagev is on display in Golden Gate’s reception area. Unfortunately, it was too large to fit entirely in this image due to strict page weight guidelines.

1931

The gambling ban in Nevada ended. The repeal of the gambling ban was a response to the Great Depression. According to our research, the Great Depression wasn’t all that great. The availability of flattering gym wear was absolutely terrible. Nevada needed jobs, tax revenue and economic activity. Truth be told, the prostitutes were exhausted and sick of being the only economic activity in Las Vegas. The end of the gambling ban allowed these dedicated independent contractors to take a night off.

1932

Hotel Nevada became Sal Sagev in early 1932. “Sal Sagev” is Las Vegas backwards. This was considered stellar creativity in its time. Then again, in 1932, cigarettes were considered medicine, so we aren’t dealing with rocket scientists here.

1955

Golden Gate was purchased from the Miller family by a group of Italian-American investors from San Francisco. This would typically raise eyebrows, but thankfully Las Vegas has never had any issues with organized crime and we aren’t just saying that because we don’t want our house set on fire. The Golden Gate Casino operated inside the Sal Sagev until 1974, when the entire venue was renamed Golden Gate. That’s right, we jumped ahead a little, mostly because you have the attention span of a cocker spaniel that misplaced its ADHD meds.

At Golden Gate, you can consensually touch Las Vegas history.

1959

Golden Gate introduced its 50-cent shrimp cocktail in 1959. The shrimp cocktail attracted lots of visitors to Golden Gate over the years. In 1991, the price was raised to 99 cents, which led to the invention of the Internet so people would have a place to complain about it. The price went to $1.99 in 2008. The deli bar serving the shrimp cocktail was closed in 2012, but the casino’s restaurant, Du-par’s, continued to sell it. Du-par’s closed in 2017, due to the owner of the restaurant being an alleged tax dodger, which marked the end of the famed shrimp cocktail at Golden Gate. Guests can still get the shrimp cocktail, with the original sauce, at Saginaw’s Deli inside the nearby Circa Las Vegas. The shrimp cocktail currently costs more than the typical KitchenAid mixer. You can still get a shrimp cocktail at Fremont casino’s Lanai Express for $3.99 as long as you, like our lovers, have the capacity to endure crushing disappointment.

1974

Sal Sagev officially changes its name to Golden Gate Hotel & Casino. They thought about calling it “onisaC & letoH etaG nedloG” for a minute, but cooler heads prevailed.

Doesn’t really roll off the tongue.

1975-2006

Nothing really happened at Golden Gate during this time. We are just uncomfortable leaving a giant gap in our authoritative history, so we’re adding this to avoid any criticism of our researching ability. Small downtown casino, no shows or sportsbook or innovation. It was like watching paint dry, but at the end of watching paint dry, something gets painted. This was even less interesting than that. Let’s get to the Derek Stevens part, already, because it involves trying not to think about Derek Stevens in shorts (he sleeps in a custom-tailored business suit). Good luck with that.

2006

In 2006, a rich guy named Derek Stevens walked into Golden Gate in shorts and flip-flops. Not figuratively. Stevens made his fortune manufacturing automotive fasteners in Detroit. Typically, then-owner Mark Brandenburg’s executive assistant would’ve sent Stevens packing, but she was away, so Stevens gained access to Brandenburg and expressed his interest in investing in the floundering casino. Mark Brandenburg went on to be the Chairman of Fremont Street Experience, the marketing consortium that markets and operates the tourist corridor in downtown Las Vegas. As we write this, Mark Brandenburg (who is a genuine sweetheart) is interviewing candidates to become the next CEO of Fremont Street Experience, because nothing says relevance like a guy who got out of the casino business 20 years ago. All due respect. See, the Fremont Street Experience board consists of competitors (most of the casinos along Fremont Street) who don’t always see eye-to-eye. Brandenburg is Switzerland. Without him, there would be far more whackings downtown, which tends to be frowned upon.

A rare and exclusive photo of Derek Stevens in front A.I.’s best guess of what Golden Gate looked like in 2006. Please submit any legal correspondence to FriendsDontSueFriends@gmail.com.

2008

Derek Stevens and his brother Greg Stevens increased their stake to 50% in Golden Gate shortly following their initial investment. The pair had zero casino experience, other than the fact Derek Stevens was a gambling enthusiast, known for his craps strategy known informally as “$32,000 across.” The auto fastener business has been very, very good to Derek Stevens.

2009

The Stevens increased their ownership stake of Golden Gate to 60% in 2009. To help visualize 60%, think of a panda. Pandas are 60% white and 40% black. Which is a sentence we expect will get us cancelled, but it was fun while it lasted.

Here’s a photo of Derek Stevens and Mark Brandenburg, which we completely forget we’d taken, further evidence we have been doing this job far, far too long.

2010

Du-par’s restaurant opened at Golden Gate, replacing the casino’s Bay City Diner. It seemed like a good idea at the time.

2015

Derek and Greg Stevens purchased Golden Gate outright in 2015. Well, the part above the ground. The land was still owned by the Miller family. We’ll get to that in a minute. Who made you like this?

2016

On June 27, 2016, a sticky little casino next to Golden Gate, La Bayou, closed. Why, you may ask, is this in a timeline devoted to Golden Gate? The answer is simple: You are a layperson and clearly unqualified to determine whether something is relevant to the history of the Golden Gate. It’s also worth noting June 27 was Helen Keller’s birthday.

People remember La Bayou much more fondly than is warranted.

2016

It was such a big year for Golden Gate, 2016 is the only year with two entries on this list, mostly to preserve our Helen Keller joke. Anyway, it was during this calendar year that the Stevens announced they would acquire the La Bayou parcel for a Golden Gate expansion. This was met with much wailing and gnashing of teeth, which can cause orthodontic problems, so we recommend avoiding it at all costs. The gnashing. You can wail all you want, just not around us, thanks.

2017

On Feb. 7, 2017, Du-par’s closed at Golden Gate. Trust us, the gnashing was deafening. Basically, the owner of Du-par’s was what’s known in the business as a “weasel.” All due respect to actual weasels, who always pay their rent on time. The owner of Du-par’s reportedly screwed the Stevens out of tens, if not hundreds, we were a drinker at the time, of thousands of dollars. Details of the debacle were never reported by local media because Las Vegas lacks real journalism. You think they’d have any mention of the wire used to manipulate John F. Miller’s arm? Of course not! Hacks. Also in 2017, and with considerably less drama, Golden Gate unveiled its expansion into the La Bayou footprint. The expansion featured a 24-foot-tall fountain of TVs. The TV fountain has a lot of TVs, which makes keeping track of the remotes a nightmare, believe you us.

Despite being diminutive by Las Vegas casinos, Golden Gate is not lacking in eye candy.

Here’s a photo of Derek Stevens we took in 2017 during a media interview.

Circa wouldn’t be a reality for three more years, but Derek Stevens was already looking at it.

2019

A sportsbook opened at Golden Gate on June 1, 2019, despite our best efforts.

2020

In 2020, Golden Gate expanded its high limit room. It was adorable. The part we liked best was they found a way to highlight one of the original walls of the hotel from 1906.

This portal to the past is easily accessible to visitors 24/7, much like your mom.

2023

The sportsbook at Golden Gate quietly closed. Why did it close? If casinos were dudes, Golden Gate would be one guy and Circa would be another. Imagine they’re standing next to each other at a urinal. Let’s just say Golden Gate experienced performance pressure. We’ve all been there. Not us, personally, but you. Unless you are not a dude, then nevermind. Nobody’s perfect.

2024

Golden Gate’s distinctive rocker sign stopped rocking. We get it, maintenance costs became prohibitive, but that doesn’t mean we have to like it.

The rocking really didn’t all that much to the experience, unlike with your mom.

2025

Finally, an opportunity to make something about us. In August 2025, we broke the story Golden Gate would be removing all its live table games, described by many as “a swift kick to the very soul of Las Vegas.” A decline in demand for live table games was blamed for the move. We had mixed feelings about the change. Like us, most of the people outraged by the removal of live table games at Golden Gate had not played live table games there since 1996. As hard as it is to believe, Derek Stevens does not consult with us prior to making decisions about his business. The last night for traditional table games, and the casino’s dancing dealers, was September 7, 2025. The last roulette number was 8. Since the removal of the live table games, Golden Gate has offered a one-hour open bar nightly (6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.), along with free play (up to $1,000).

Later in 2025

Oh, all right, it’s another double entry. It’s not like anyone’s still reading our story. Also in 2025, the Stevens purchased a majority of the land underneath Golden Gate. It was the first time the land ownership changed since it was purchased in 1905 or whatever we said earlier in this story. The land was purchased for $19 million. It was reported the Stevens purchased all the land under Golden Gate, but that is false. Local journalists are boobs. Oh, crap, we haven’t mentioned Valeria anywhere in our story. We will remedy that shortly. Anyway, the Stevens own the original Golden Gate footprint, but still lease the part that was under La Bayou. That’s owned by the Harold and Mayme Stocker Trust and First Interstate Bank Trust. Which pretty much means the Stevens will never own that land, because if it sold, the lawyers and trustees would lose their commission checks and nobody wants that.

Now, you know. You may not care, but you know, anyway.

Which brings us to present day.

Golden Gate has a long and glorious history. We don’t really know what to make of Golden Gate now. We’ve visited the casino much more often due to the free play promotion. Derek Stevens says he expects that deal to last at least a year. It’s not really drawing the best clientele and the bartenders hate it. For whatever reason, when people are getting free drinks, they don’t tip.

IMG

Owner Derek Stevens can often be found at Golden Gate for the happy hour promotion. He is gregarious and doesn’t appear irritated when people ask for a photo with him.

Derek Stevens shakes so many hands, he sometimes has to soak his hand in ice water on the ride home. We are not making this up.

Stevens and his team are convinced their recent decisions at Golden Gate are to keep the casino relevant (and more profitable).

Only time will tell. They’re happy with the level of participation in the open bar and free play giveaway, but the place empties out promptly at 7:01 p.m.

Our biggest gripe with Golden Gate now is the music volume. It feels like there’s some overcompensation going on, and it’s brutal. It’s possible we aren’t the target market for Golden Gate, but the kids aren’t exactly hanging out there gambling.

The economics are tricky. Prior to the removal of live table games, Golden Gate was actually losing money on the graveyard shift due to labor costs. Suboptimal.

Today, Golden Gate feels like a cozy Las Vegas lounge with some slot machines. Does it need to be more? Derek Stevens’ baby, Circa, is a few feet away, replete with live table games.

Valeria is still working the bar.

Like so many things in Las Vegas, Golden Gate suffers by comparisons to its previous self. People are mad about paid parking at Las Vegas casinos because it was free for so long. (Valet parking remains free at Golden Gate, by the way.)

Casinos aren’t charities. You have to try new things to see if they stick.

Could live table games return to Golden Gate? Yes. How do we know? They didn’t cancel the chips.

Whatever Golden Gate becomes, it has endured for 120 years and is woven into the lore of Las Vegas.

Not everything has to be “funny.” Some things, like this artwork, are just satisfying. The comedy “rule of three” requires a joke about your mom here, but rules are so last year. In 2026, we are committed to exhibiting maturity, self-restraint and tact. Or whatever other qualities your mom is into.

Golden Gate is often cited as being the oldest casino in Las Vegas, which isn’t accurate. Golden Gate even proclaims that misleading information on its Web site.

That honor of “oldest casino in Las Vegas” goes to El Cortez. ElCo operated as a casino starting in 1941.

Golden Gate is the oldest hotel in Las Vegas, but it didn’t officially have a licensed casino until 1955.

“Oldest hotel building” just doesn’t have the same ring to it.

Happy birthday, Golden Gate. This is the most words we’ve devoted to anything in a long time. That’s because we love you. We like our casinos cozy, with low ceilings and nooks. We love characters, both staff and customers. We love the heart of the place.

Here’s to another 120 years, at which time we shall again regale upwards of a dozen people with our rapier wit and questionable command of historical accuracy.

By then, we’ll figure out a better phrase than “rapier wit,” as we’re pretty sure that’s another guaranteed cancellation, beyond the mountains of complaints we’re already getting for the moss tampon thing.