Jim Kelley's Tahoe Nugget

Slot machines at the Jim Kelley's Tahoe Nugget.

Jim Kelley's Tahoe Nugget

This is a very small place (in fact, the smallest in Lake Tahoe) that is located on Highway 28 in the heart of Crystal Bay, and it sits right next door to the Crystal Bay Club, and right across from the Tahoe Biltmore. It is not the only "Jim Kelley's Nugget" location; there is also one in Reno that is known as the "Little Nugget" so as not to confuse itself with the nearby John Ascuaga's Nugget.

It does not have hotel accommodations. However, this is not so out of vogue in the Lake Tahoe area, where more intimate surroundings (relative to bigger casino areas like Las Vegas and Reno) are the rule rather than the exception.

Like Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe has its own casinos that cater well to the local trade. That is the category Jim Kelley's Tahoe Nugget would have to fall into. They have a very loyal base, and the atmosphere is very collegial and informal; of course, if you are indeed a local you'll get the most out of the experience. This is an "old school" attitude, plain and simple.

The casino, which encompasses about 3500 square feet, has over a hundred slot machines, as well as fourteen video poker machines. There are twenty dollar slots machines, 37 nickel slots and 35 quarter slots. They like to boast the "loosest" slots out of the locations in Crystal Bay. There are also live poker games you can engage in, and these are naturally very popular with the local folks. You can also play blackjack on a machine against a virtual dealer.

There is no showroom, no big-time giveaways, no fine dining establishment, no sportsbook, There is one restaurant and one bar, and the focus is very clearly around gambling and drinking. But don't look for the "ultra-lounge" or the champagne room at this property. What you WILL find, though, is one of the best hamburgers in the Lake Tahoe area, courtesy of Izzy's Burger Spa.

There is big upside to the Tahoe Nugget, if that is the kind of venue you crave. Drinks are incredibly cheap - you can get a draft beer for just $2.25- for example - and there is obviously no need to dress up for the occasion. This place is widely known for having the best, most personable and friendliest customer service in its beverage department out of all the gaming establishments on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe. Also, if you are a fan of beer you are going to love this place, because it sticks over 100 different brands of beer, and if you can drink one of each of them (not necessarily in one sitting, folks) they will put you into the "Beer Drinker's Hall of Fame."

Generally, there is much more business in the casino at night than during the day, since the locals who populate it are working. So go during the day if you don't want to fight for space in this rather cramped venue, but go at night if you want to encounter a real slice of local Tahoe life.

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