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Newly opened, the poker room at The Golden Nugget offers 10 non-smoking tables. I noticed some non-smoking tables scattered throughout the casino. Table games at the Nugget include blackjack, craps, roulette, pai gow poker, Three-card Poker, Let it Ride, Super Fun 21 and Texas Hold'em. The property boasts 38,000 square feet of gaming space and has more than 1,200 slots and video poker machines. During my visit in early July 2009, there was quite a bit of construction going on. In December 2009, the Golden Nugget plans to open a new tower of hotel rooms as well as more gaming space and restaurants. It's opulence stops just short of tackiness. It's got a more classic, “Old Vegas” feel than the strip properties, but it is elegant and upscale rather than being tawdry and cheap. Located directly on The Fremont Street Experience, Golden Nugget is in the center of the downtown action.
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In 2005, the sale of the property to Landry's Restaurants, Inc., the current owners, was complete.
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In 2004, Wynn sold the Golden Nugget to Poster Financial Group. He created Golden Nugget Companies, which eventually became Mirage Resorts. Steve Wynn became the Nugget's majority shareholder in 1973, beginning his rise as a major player in the Vegas casino/resort industry. In the 1970's, a hotel tower was added, and over the years, it has gone through a couple of renovations and a few different owners. Owned and operated by Landry's Restaurants, Inc., the Golden Nugget is the largest and probably most desirable casino/hotel in downtown Las Vegas.
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