Uno Social Club Comes to Palms, Nobody’s Sure Why

By Scott Roeben, on May 29 2025
3 min read 1 comment
Las Vegas

When we wake up each day, we’re excited to learn about and share exciting things related to Las Vegas. We really try to approach new things with objectivity, optimism and curiosity rather than just reacting with knee-jerk skepticism or jaded judgements.

Well, this ain’t one of those days.

Mattel just announced it will open Uno Social Clubs across the country and Las Vegas is getting the first one, at Palms. That’s right, Uno. The card game. It’s an idea so dumb, we suspect it was dropped on its head repeatedly as an infant. Let’s learn more for no apparent reason other than that we need something to write about today, shan’t we?

If you’re playing cards on this table, rather than having sex on it, you’re doing Vegas wrong.

Uno, of course, is a very fun and popular game.

The game’s goal is deceptively simple: Get rid of all your cards before your family members or friends turn on you like a pack of wild dogs. Players take turns matching a card in their hand to the top card on the discard pile by color or number. Special cards like “Reverse,” “Skip,” “Draw Two” and “Wild Draw Four” exist solely to destroy friendships and fuel lifelong grudges.

We aren’t exactly talking 3-D chess here.

If you are playing pool on this table, well, you know the rest.

Uno is a game of psychological warfare disguised as a children’s activity. It’s been described as “emotional demolition derby,” but in a good way.

Naturally, Mattel is trying to find new ways to promote its game and generate more revenue from its intellectual property. Enter Uno Social Clubs.

According to the company, “Uno Social Clubs transform game nights into an elevated social experience where friends connect, compete and create memories in venues across the country.”

Per a news release, “To kick off the summer, the Uno brand is opening the doors to its first-ever, deck-ed out Uno Social Club in one of the gaming capitals of the world—Las Vegas, Nevada. This experience at the Palms Casino Resort gives one lucky winner and a guest the chance to stay, play and go wild in one of the most colorful suites in town from Friday, July 18 to Sunday, July 20.”

Also known as “free advertising.”

“Deck-ed out.” Get it?

Speaking of “going wild,” does Mattel not realize the winner of this contest is likely to make an adult film in its Uno Social Club? This is frowned upon, but it does lead to some potentially interesting uses of the classic Uno cards.

No joke. People have been banned from Las Vegas resorts for making movies in hotel suites.

Fans can enter for a chance to win the Uno Social Club getaway at Palms by posting a TikTok video using the new Uno Reverse Card filter and the hashtags #UnoSocialClub and #MattelContest.

These are the kinds of edgy social media promotions middle-aged white men concoct in conference rooms while trying to get a glimpse at the whale tail of the new receptionist.

According to Mattel, the ARV (approximate retail value) of a two-night stay in the Uno suite and other prizes is $27,000, so there’s that.

The contest ends June 19, 2025.

Yes, you can also have sex on a bed. Weirdo.

So, basically, Palms is giving one of its themed suites (the bowling alley one) an Uno refresh and Mattel thinks people would actually chose this over the other themed suites at Palms that are actually epic.

This is easily one of the goofiest and least imaginative corporate promotions in recent memory, but you might be into this nonsense. Here’s more about the Uno Social Club experience. Hey, it’s a couple of free nights in a Vegas hotel.

Good luck and please invite us over if you win.

We have fond memories of playing Uno and other games with our family before all the restraining orders.

Now, back to your regularly scheduled objectivity, optimism and curiosity.

Update (6/1/25): Some of our best ideas come to us when we’re in the shower after our story has already gone live.

Please do not encourage this behavior.