Then and now: Stateline casino changes
Barney’s in 1961.
Barney’s Casino opened at Stateline in spring 1961. It was operated by majority owners Barney O’Malia and Richard Chartrand.
The Nugget has a storied past in Lake Tahoe. Photos/Bill Kingman
Chartrand also had an early interest in what years later became John’s Tahoe Nugget at Stateline, which was locally popular for featuring seafood and prime rib. Chartrand died in an unsolved car bombing at Skyland in 1968. John’s Tahoe Nugget ultimately closed at the end of 1990.
Totally remodeled and under new ownership, today that building just north of the Douglas County Administrative Center houses restaurants, a UPS Store, and professional business offices.
A casino no longer exists at the site.
Barney’s became Bill’s Casino in 1987 under new ownership by Harrah’s Entertainment. The second floor contained a McDonald’s Restaurant, then a bit of a rarity for the fast food restaurant to be inside a casino.
The former Bill’s Casino.
Bill’s closed in January 2010, however, and the property was sold.
After long and extensive remodeling, the building today houses multiple businesses.
A slew of businesses fill the old Bill’s site.
— Bill Kingman
Bill, as always, you have delighted me with “Tahoe Past”. I love the history you share. I know, eventually, you will have covered it all, but in the meantime, I look forward to your next ‘Then & Now’.
Hi Bill, I remember for awhile Bill’s was a smoke free casino as that was becoming popular at the time but they lost business and allowed smoking to resume. Back when it was Barney’s, it was a small casino that was struggeling to compete with the big guys, Harrah’s and Harvey’s.
When Chartrands car blew up from a car bomb when he started it, the talk around town was he refused to play along with a certain group of “shady characters”.
The Nugget was fun, a little old and somewhat showing it’s age, but when Echo summit was closed due to the massive landslide, a little below Whitehall, the Nugget was offering REAL cheap food and drinks, anything to get people into the casino. The town was really slow that year because hwy 50 was wiped out when the mountain side gave way, so there were lots of locals at the Nugget plus there were “specials” all over town. I think the slide happened in 83′ or 84′.
Thanks Bill! Keep em’ coming! Old Long Skiis
Here’s TV report on 1983 slides:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ek7Qu2RluEE
Remember Mr. Clean who was a security guard there.
http://www.tahoedailytribune.com/article/20010910/REGION/109104667
Before Barney’s the casino had another name something like TAHOE TAVERN, or whatever. One of Bill Haley’s breakaway groups called the ‘JODIMARS’ played there. JOe, DIck, and MARShall, get it? Marshall’s last name was Lytell and one of the other members is/was a floorman in Caesars Vegas for many years. We used to play poker with Barney and of course Oliver Kahle who owned what you now call the UPS store I guess? Once was Oliver’s casino if I have the right building.
slim, You have a very good memory! I believe it was called Olivers Club, but I think the Tahoe Tavern was on north shore,(correct me if I’m wrong,”old timer”). Across the hiway on Kahle dr. was a nightclub called “The Glass Slipper”, which many years later became a bar called “Cooter Jones”. On the corner of Kahle and 50 there was and old casino that stayed vacant for quite awhile but eventualy re opened with a new name , which escapes me now. I think that building is still a medical center next to the Lakeside Inn parking lot.
I hear tell that meadow to the east of Kahle drive was our first “landing strip”. So there is alot of history to be covered. Anyone have any stories about that end of town? Old long Skiis
PS. Bill,thanks for the video of the year of the slides and washed out roads in 83′. To Kenny Curtzwiler, thanks for reminding me of Bob Hoskins, (aka, Mr. Clean), he was a good guy!
slim, You have a very good memory! I believe it was called Olivers Club, but I think the Tahoe Tavern was on north shore,(correct me if I’m wrong,”old timer”). Across the hiway on Kahle dr. was a nightclub called “The Glass Slipper”, which many years later became a bar called “Cooter Jones”. On the corner of Kahle and 50 there was and old casino that stayed vacant for quite awhile but eventualy re opened with a new name , which escapes me now. I think that building is still a medical center next to the Lakeside Inn parking lot.
I hear tell that meadow to the east of Kahle drive was our first “landing strip”. Possiblly constructed in the late 30’s or early 40’s.
So there is alot of history to be covered. Anyone else have any stories about that end of town? Old long Skiis
PS. ,Bill, thanks for the video of the year of the slides and washed out roads in 83′! To Kenny Curtzwiler, thanks for reminding me of Bob Hoskins, (aka, Mr. Clean), he was a good guy!
i remember when bills was a beehive of activity. learned how to play blackjack there, $1 a hand with a single deck. the pit boss gave me a retired deck of cards Bills logo on it with the corners cut off.
after they made it no smoking you could hear a pin drop. almost no more table games and slot machines that spit out coupons instead of coins. the only thing you could hear was an imaginary clock somewhere in the distance doing a countdown of how long it would be before the doors closed for good.
the creepy virtual blackjack table was what turned me off from ever going in again. real live dealers starving for tips being replaced by machines. no more fun in the game when a robot winks at you. Shades of “WESTWORLD”.
OLS, Gary’s Casino, 1976-1978? ( if I remember right the owners closed it with guns), 50 and Kahle, had a underground (bottom floor) disco and you had to part purple beads to get in. When it became a medical center the “21” was still there on the front only it was turned backwards, I tried to buy it from the owners but it’s now gone.
SkiBum! Thank you! Yes, it was Gary’s Casino! My on and off again girlfriend back then used to be a cocktail waitress there. I just couldn’t remember the name of the joint!
As I recall , looking back on it, it was a bit of, shall I say, a kinda sleazy place?
Some stories should stay in the confines of ones living room with friends you can trust so as not to air some dirty laundry into the public domain that one might regret later and may not even be true!
Never witnessed anything illgal there myself, but heard plenty of stories, but that’s true of so much in any small town. Gossip, rumors and tall tales!
Sorry for double posting a previous comment. I get so involved in remembering days gone by that I get an itchy “mouse finger”. Take care and good night, OLS
who could forget Gary’s casino? could stay there all night and go straight to work the next morning. And what about Ed’s in the back of the nugget–the only strip bar ever in south shore!
I remember the old airport off Kayle, and have photos of that meadow next to the highway, where the airplanes parked…the Historical Society has the originals…biplanes in my photos. I flew out of Tahoe during The Big Winter (Jan-Feb, 1952 as I remember) by bribing the pilot of the plane bringing in supplies, as Tahoe was isolated by the storm. I was 14.
Many years later when I returned to Tahoe (’72) to be a permanent resident, I well remember Cooter Jones, the place had a steeple on top….I did sub DJ stuff there, got their recorders and sound system working….gads, these old memories….but I’m an old coot now.
Gotta stop here…off to The Edgewood for dinner…
And no one remembers the Velvet Hammer (?) – the one further down Kahle (boarded up now). . .that place was the first time I heard Cream’s version of ‘Born Under a Bad Sign’. . .as the first Super Group. . .in the mid ’60’s. . .
Garry Bowen, I thought the Velvet Hammer was out at the old Round Hill Mall? I could be wrong, but maybe they moved into the groovier digs at the mall at Round Hill as it was new and a happening spot at the time.
Bob Fleischer, You should definetly speak at the next Lake Tahoe Historical Society’s old tales of Tahoe event. I did, and although I was nervous as hell, I had a GREAT time. Sounds like you’ve got a story or two to tell! Garry Bowen that goes for you to!
Take care Tahoe old timers and enjoy life! OLS
Velvet Hammer Bar was opened around the early 70’s in Roundhill, Nv by Red Pruett. Later it was known as Sunshine Company?, Red Pepper, Monte Vista, After Dark and First Draft Choice.
No picture of the famous Harvey’s Wagon Wheel??? I used to look for that whenever we came to Tahoe. I love this feature, Bill!
I remember After Dark. It is where my husband and I met!