This little casino is a fun place and you should enjoy getting to know some of the friendly people from the area, as well as meet other travelers, should you decide to stop in. While we obviously can’t recommend going (way) out of your way, we do think you should stop in if you’re travelling down the U.S. Route 93 and happen to see it…it’s a fun place and the food is pretty good.

Cactus Petes Resort Casino

Another Jackpot, Nevada location on U.S. Route 93, Cactus Petes Resort Casino opened in 1954 and features just shy of 25,000 square feet of total gaming space. Believe it or not, that actually puts Cactus Pete’s right around the square footage of a few of the smaller Downtown Las Vegas casinos, so there’s that.

The property is also home to 296 guest rooms and suites.

Popular with ers through as well as residents of nearby states, such as Idaho, Cactus Petes has done reasonably well over the decades and, apparently, was sufficient to attract the interest of current owners, Penn National Gaming. Actually, the owners of the physical property are Gaming and Leisure Properties, a real-estate investment trust that holds most Penn National operated casino properties.

As mentioned above, Jackpot became Jackpot shortly after Idaho banned gambling, and Cactus Petes became itself when, “Cactus Pete,” Piersanti relocated his Idaho slot operations barely within a mile of Nevada state lines—you can be sure his customers knew where to find him.

The property would come to be under the ownership of Ameristar Casinos (and was one of the first two properties to make up that company) in the early 1990’s, Ameristar would eventually be bought out by Pinnacle Entertainment, which itself was bought out later by Penn National Gaming…and that’s how the casino monolith, Penn National, has come to operate a property way on the Northwest corner of Nevada, bordering Idaho. Yup. Even some of these small way off places end up under corporate control, that’s just how it goes.

As of the time of this writing, weekday rates seem to start at $79 for standard rooms, with weekend rates varying a bit (based on demand) and usually living in the $119-$179 range, so Barton’s Club 93 is clearly the more economical of the properties if you are planning to stay in Jackpot.

One piece of bad news is that, even in the middle-of-nowhere Jackpot, Resort Fees have managed to make their way to town. Dubbed an, “Amenity Fee,” Penn National Gaming charges guests an extra $10/night on top of the d rates. Guests have wireless internet access and an outdoor pool, when it is in season. The property also features a small beauty salon.

The casino is home to more than 600 combined slot, video poker and video keno games and features newer slot machine titles than one might expect. As with Barton’s 93, VPFRee2 reports three Video Poker games with paytables of 99%+, though those at Barton’s 93 are slightly better.

The property is home to fourteen gaming tables and deals Blackjack, High Card Flush,Ultimate Texas Hold ‘Em, Craps and Heads up Hold ‘Em. We would recommend calling the property if you are looking to play a specific game as we do not imagine that all of their games run around the clock. Naturally, as long as Table Games are open, you’ll be able to find Blackjack.

The Poker Room closed during Covid-19 and has yet to reopen, so you’ll want to keep an eye out to see if that changes if Live Texas Hold ‘Em is your thing. If it is going to reopen, then we would expect that to happen by Spring or Summer of 2022.

Finally, the property is home to a small William Hill Sportsbook.

Open Thursday-Saturday evenings for dinner service, 36 Steak and Seafood is a popular fine dining establishment for Jackpot casino-goers and has recently reopened as of November, 2021. They have this to say about the restaurant:

At 36 Steak & Seafood, we pay tribute to Northern Nevada’s open territory and rich agricultural history. Our menu highlights exquisite regional fare, featuring savory steak selections from local ranches and fresh farm-to-table offerings, paired with exceptional win and attentive service that distinguishes 36 Steak & Seafood as a dining experience that is as memorable as it is delectable.

The property is also home to an American style cafe known as The Desert Room that opens at 7:00 a.m. every day and remains open until the late evening hours. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, the prices here are slightly higher than those at Barton’s, but the offerings are also slightly more refined. As far as American style casual restaurants go, this eatery is about average—maybe just a little higher—in price.

Nosh is a place for American quick eats that, as of the time of this writing, is only open during the evenings on weekends. The property is also home to a coffeeshop called Bordertown Brew, but that did not reopen after Covid-19 (yet) and is still closed as of the time of this writing. It might come back next year.

Cactus Pet’s has a few more machines, Table Games, eateries and is a bit more flashy (as flashy as such a small casino is going to get) compared to Barton’s, but we think that Barton’s is the better overall value. If you find yourself staying in this area for a few days, then you’ll probably want to go to Cactus Petes to eat once or twice, or maybe to play a Table Game Barton’s doesn’t have, but that’s about it. It’s actually a pretty sorry state of affairs that a small casino in an out of the way location thinks they can get away with charging a Resort Fee, and even sadder is the fact that they’re probably right.

Four Jacks Casino and Hotel

Another Jackpot, Nevada location is the Four Jacks Casino Hotel, which is also located on U.S. Route 93, specially, 1702 U.S. Rte. 93.

Guests of the sixty rooms of the hotel (or of the one suite) will enjoy complimentary coffee in the morning as well as access to wireless internet. Similar to Barton’s 93, Four Jacks is designed to be a value property for those in neighboring states (particularly Idaho) or individuals ing through on U.S. 93, many of whom will be truck drivers.

The property features a diner called the Rag Time Diner, which has American food at low prices. We called the property for a machine count and were told, “A little under fifty,” and also informed that there are no Table Games at the property. According to VPFree2, a few of the Video Poker paytables are 99%+.

We usually wouldn’t do a listing for a property with fewer than 100 machines, but there aren’t exactly a lot of casinos in Elko County and the fact that this is a casino-hotel also merits consideration. Room rates seem to be more-or-less in line with Barton’s, but you’ll probably want to stay at Barton’s unless you don’t mind not having Table Games.

Gold Country Inn and Casino

Located at 2050 Idaho Street in Elko proper, Gold Country Inn and Casino is one of the casino-hotel properties for the county seat and where you might find yourself staying when visiting family, friends or if you have business in town. The casino’s hotel is actually franchised through America’s Best Value Inn, which likely is just so they have a strong booking channel.

Guests will enjoy access to wireless internet, seasonal outdoor pool, fitness center and business center. There are 150 total guest rooms and suites.

The rooms are dated, but clean. It’s an America’s Best Value Inn, so readers of this page in the U.S.A. may have been to one before…they tend to be on the lower end of economy hotels, so that’s about what you can expect to get. I couldn’t even hazard a guess as to how old the furniture is, but it has something of a quaint charm to it.

On average, rates seem to be a little over $60/night. In fact, there’s sometimes no difference in rates between weekdays and weekends.

The property is home to more than 130 slot, video poker and video keno machines. They do not appear to be listed on VPFree2 at this time, so please feel free to help them out if you know of any good Video Poker paytables here.

The establishment is home to a single restaurant called JR’s Bar and Grill, which is American Casual/American Pub type food.

High Desert Inn

Also located on Idaho Street, in Elko, High Desert Inn is closed as of the time of this writing. If this casino ends up reopening, please let us know and we will update this listing accordingly.

Horseshu Casino

Horseshu Casino is located on U.S. Route 93 in Jackpot, Nevada and originally opened in 1954 as the owner had been driven to Jackpot, via Idaho, when the State of Idaho banned all forms of gambling. The owner of Cactus Pete’s would go on to purchase this casino a decade later and the two would become the first two properties to make up Ameristar Entertainment.

Ameristar spread quickly, but were soon bought out by Pinnacle Gaming which itself was bought out by Penn National Gaming.

Anyway, this is effectively just part of Cactus Petes and has a little over 100 machines, two Blackjack tables and a dozen guest rooms. If you wanted to book here, then you would do that via Cactus Petes.

Maverick Hotel and Casino

The Maverick Hotel and Casino is formerly known as Red Lion Hotel and Casino and is located at 2065 Idaho Street in Elko, Nevada. This is the largest and most expensive of the Elko Maverick Casino properties with rates typically going for a little over $100/night.

Guests of the hotel will enjoy access to wireless internet as well as the property’s business center. The rooms are clean and perhaps more modern than the other Elko properties, but aren’t anything particularly special—the rates honestly seem somewhat high for the area.

Table Games featured are Blackjack, Craps, Roulette and Three-Card Poker.

The property is home to more than 350 combined slot, video poker and video keno machines with denominations ranging from pennies to $5. There’s a spot for the casino on VPFree2, but it seems that nobody who posts to that site has checked this location yet.

JR’s at Maverick is an American combination sports bar and restaurant that is open 24/7 and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. They feature an all day breakfast as well as what they claim are the, “Best Steaks in Elko,” so you might want to check them out.

Open for dinner service Wednesday-Sunday evenings, Aspen’s is about as close as it gets to fine dining in this casino and we would consider it more upscale casual. The property has this to say about the restaurant:

Aspens guests find a warm, relaxed atmosphere, perfect for an after-work cocktail or an intimate dinner. Accented by hardwood floors, fireplace, and displays of preserved aspen trees, Aspens has a natural feel unique to Northeastern Nevada. A private room for dinners, parties and other gatherings is available.

The mouthwatering menu artfully combines steakhouse favorites, seafood specialties and flavorful combinations. Delicious Crab Cakes, Black Angus Burgers, Prime Rib, Atlantic Salmon, Chipotle Southwest Shrimp, Baby Back Ribs, Chicken Marsala, Gouda Stuffed Chicken Breast, and many more entrees await.

We should imagine that it’s as good as anything else in Elko, so we would recommend that you give it a try if you’re in town.

The Coffee Garden Restaurant is (mostly) American food and also the location of the property’s buffet (the property does not have a buffet as of the time of this writing) when the buffet is going. It’s open for breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days per week.

Starbucks is open from 5:00a-10:00p daily. The property features two bars that sometimes have live bands, or DJ’s, on weekends.

Overall, Maverick Casino and Hotel is probably the most complete casino experience in Elko, and is mostly going to appeal to people from communities in nearby states, such as Idaho. If you’re going to the Elko area, then you might consider a stay here, though in our opinion, the offerings might not necessarily be worth the difference in rates compared to their own other Idaho Street locations.

Scoreboard Casino & Restaurant

We called to ask how many total machines are here and they hung up. We called again and they didn’t answer…so this is the listing they get. It’s the same owner as Stockmen’s Casino (below) and there is a restaurant and more than zero machines. This is located in Spring Valley, Nevada.

Stockmen’s Casino

Stockmen’s Casino is located at 340 Commercial Street in Elko, Nevada and calls itself, “Elko’s Best Bet.” The property is home to a hotel that is franchised as a Ramada. The hotel has a blend of a modern design with elements of Old West style Saloons/Inns, so it’s pretty cool.

In addition to the seasonal outdoor pool, guests of the hotel will enjoy wireless internet, a business center, morning coffee, free continental breakfast and a fitness center. Rates are generally somewhere between the Best Value Inn and the Maverick Hotel and Casino, so in conjunction with the other amenities, we tend to think this property has the best value to offer guests.

We called the casino for a current slot count and were told, “I’m not sure if I can disclose that,” from a very polite hotel receptionist. It seems that these properties are secretive about their total machine counts, for some reason or another. Most websites put it right on there!

The property is home to an American Restaurant that is open seven days per week, from 6:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m. and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Prices are pretty comparable to your typical American Sports Bar chain and the menu is similar. It is called The Coffee Shop.

VpFree2 would have it that there is a 98.98% (optimal strategy) Double Double Bonus game and doesn’t list any other Video Poker paytables as being any good.

If you have to go to Elko anyway, then we would suggest considering this property for having the best price/value for the hotel, just know you’ll have to go elsewhere if you are looking for Table Games.

The Pony Express Casino

It seems that paranoia reigns in Elko as this is another location, “Uncomfortable,” with disclosing the number of machines they have. Of course, the gaming license would authorize a particular amount, so you can research that if you want to—we’re just going to say they have more than zero. This location is in Jackpot.

Seriously, though, what possible nefarious use could a person have for this information?