Flamingo review: Getting your game on in the Vegas Strip's oldest casino

After checking in and getting my hotel room key, I couldn't wait to get to the gaming floor.

Probably because it is accessible right off the main guest service area upon check-in, which is a smart move in my book.

While attending this year's G2E conference in Las Vegas, I stayed at the Flamingo and had plenty of time to check out the casino.

The Flamingo is a destination with both a wealth of entertainment options and a rich history.

History and highlights

The Flamingo is the oldest casino on the Las Vegas Strip, as well as the area's first mob-built casino.

Gambling in other parts of Nevada was already in full swing, but up until the mid-1940s, the Las Vegas Strip was uncharted territory.

The Flamingo welcomed first-time guests on December 26 1946. However, the casino was built earlier that year because of a collaboration between two unlikely allies.

Benjamin 'Bugsy' Siegel is commonly credited for opening the Flamingo, but the idea to build a Miami-beach style hotel in Southern Nevada came from his one-time business partner, William R. Wilkerson.

As an already successful Los Angeles businessman throughout the 1930s and 1940s, Wilkerson founded The Hollywood Reporter and owned several nightclub hot spots on Sunset Boulevard.

Wilkerson started building the resort in 1945 but, by early 1946, he had run out of money for the project. This was because he had lost hundreds of thousands of dollars playing in other local casinos.

As a result, Wilkerson pulled Siegel in on the project. Siegel was a longtime bruiser for the mob who had already made a name for himself in the Las Vegas scene through horserace wire services, as well as through investments into other casinos on Fremont Street. Siegel and his associates bought two-thirds of the project and eventually forced out Wilkerson.

But as the building efforts continued, the resort project's cost rose from around $1.2m to an estimated $6m by the time construction was finished.

The Flamingo Today

Caesars Entertainment currently owns and operates Flamingo Las Vegas and acquired the property in 2005.

One of the things the Flamingo does well in providing multiple entertainment options available to guests as they move throughout the space. The gaming floor had a generous number of slots, table games, bars, dining options and stores spread throughout the resort. As I walked through the hotel to find where I wanted to eat, several slot machines were sprinkled through the walkway.

Another smart move.

Flamingo Las Vegas is home to nearly 55 tables games and more than 1,600 slots. I had no trouble finding several of my favorite games in this casino resort, as well as some games I had never seen or played before in my state's casinos. Variety always wins points with me, and this place has that in spades.

The staff on the gaming floor were friendly and helpful, something else I often pay attention to when visiting a new casino. Staff members frequently stopped to check on me and see if I needed drinks while I was playing slots.

Attendants were never too far away in case I needed help or had a question about something, which was also great.

This resort had a lot of access to nearby dining as well, including Gordon Ramsay Burger, Pinky's By Vanderpump, Beach Club Bar and Grill, Bugsy & Myers Steakhouse, Havana 1957 and In-N-Out Burger, which is located within half a block of the hotel.

Having so many options throughout the resort space while staying here put this casino hotel near the top of my list for places I would stay and play again the next time I'm in Vegas.

A solid overall score!