Palace Station originally opened on July 1, 1976, as The Casino, a gambling hall attached to the Mini Price Motor Inn. The Casino was built in an off-
Strip location beside
Interstate 15, where few observers expected it to succeed. It was soon expanded by and renamed Bingo Palace, with the grand opening celebrated on June 30, 1977. The casino was the first in the
Las Vegas Valley to
target a clientele of local residents, with offerings like giveaways, cheap buffets and bingo. It thrived, and other locals casinos followed in later years, including
Sam's Town (1979) and the
Gold Coast (1986).
Frank Fertitta Jr. bought a 10-percent interest in July 1977. He became vice president and director of the Bingo Palace later that year. In 1979, Thomas was under investigation for allegedly aiding mobsters in a
skimming operation. Fertitta bought out his partners, including Thomas and two others, later that year. A $10 million renovation and expansion was underway in 1983, and a contest was held to select a new name, The winning name, Palace Station, was submitted by a keno runner at Bingo Palace. Fertitta liked the name because it retained "Palace" while also reflecting the property's new train station/railroad theme. The name change became official on January 1, 1984. A grand opening ceremony was held on April 6, featuring Governor
Richard Bryan and the historic locomotive
Inyo. A train-themed neon sign, measuring wide and high, was constructed for Palace Station. A $60 million expansion began five years later, and included in new casino space, as well as a parking garage. The project also included a 21-story hotel tower; and was
topped off that November. The expanded casino and three floors in the tower opened a month later, with the remainder of rooms expected to be finished in mid-1991. In 1993, Palace Station filed to become a public corporation known as
Station Casinos, which has gone on to open numerous other hotel-casinos throughout the Las Vegas Valley, starting in 1994 with
Boulder Station. In 1998, a 67-year-old woman won the largest slot machine jackpot in history at Palace Station: $27 million. In 2016, employees narrowly rejected
unionization efforts by the
Culinary Workers Union and Bartenders Union, by a vote of 266 to 262. The vote was conducted by the
National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). Culinary challenged the results, accusing Station of influencing its workers to vote against unionization by giving them raises just before the election. The union filed a complaint with the NLRB, and Palace Station agreed to settle in 2017, although a contract was never finalized. A $192 million renovation began in November 2016, The 126-foot Palace Station sign was removed during 2018, marking the end of the train theme. A grand re-opening celebration, including a fireworks show, was held on September 1, 2018.
Incidents A roof collapse and fire occurred on July 20, 1999, both during heavy rainfall. The roof collapse occurred over an area of the casino floor around 2 a.m., unleashing a wave of water on gamblers. Several hours later, a
four-alarm fire began on a decorative exterior
facade, located along the tower's 21st floor. The fire forced the evacuation of 2,200 guests, and other floors were reopened soon thereafter. The casino floor was partially reopened a day after the incidents, along with several restaurants. The total cost of damage for both incidents was between $12 million and $14 million. The damaged portion of the casino reopened four months later. Various robberies have occurred at Palace Station throughout its history, the most prominent being
a 2007 robbery led by
O. J. Simpson, which occurred at the property's motel structure. ==Features==