Fremont Hotel and Casino Las Vegas Completes $50 Million Renovation

The Fremont Hotel and Casino in downtown Las Vegas, owned by Boyd Gaming, has completed its $50 million renovation that started in 2022. It has introduced a new casino floor with a more open floor plan, higher ceilings, and a renovated hotel lobby and casino bar.

The Fremont is one of many Nevada casino venues in the downtown area of Las Vegas, which has revitalized itself in recent years.

This new upgrade on the Fremont began in late 2022, which included a new addition to Nevada retail sportsbooks with FanDuel, and an extra 10,000 square feet of gaming space.

The new casino floor has taken over the former buffet section, and includes approximately 120 extra slot games. The six-stall food hall was built on a former parking-lot-turned-shopping-mall on Third Street, with a new entrance and patio added into the mall’s design.

Las Vegas mayor Carolyn G. Goodman recently attended the opening of a brand new police substation in the downtown Fremont area, showing commitment to the area’s continued redevelopment.

“Once we’re done, the entire Fremont casino will have the look and feel of this expanded casino space that you see — a modern, exciting new design for one of downtown’s most legendary properties,” said Boyd’s Executive Vice President of Operations Steve Thompson, speaking earlier in 2023.

Expanded Offerings

The Fremont Street Experience, where the Fremont Hotel and Casino is located, is a popular destination for tourists and locals alike, with its pedestrian mall, light shows, and live entertainment.

The Fremont Casino now has more than 700 slot machines, 22 table games, and 20 electronic table game machines.

Interestingly, the new FanDuel sportsbook is not run by the national operator, but by Boyd. The casino operator has leased the FanDuel brand, but will be operating it in-house.

FanDuel and DraftKings, the two leading U.S. sports betting operators, have mostly been conspicuously absent from Nevada. The state has had a frosty relationship with the two companies since they were Daily Fantasy Sports-only operators back in 2015, and things haven’t improved much since.

Boyd will be using its own Nevada online sportsbook, Boyd Sports, to provide mobile betting to players. They still need to visit the retail location to use it. It also owns a 5% stake in FanDuel nationally.

The FanDuel-branded venue will have seven betting kiosks and four staffed betting windows for placing wagers. For watching bets play out, it will feature two massive LED video walls, twelve 65″ screens, and seating for up to 76 customers.

The new food hall opened in January, but has only now filled out its roster of vendors. Options include Steak ‘n Shake, Huey Magoo’s, Roli Roti, and Tomo Noodles. The food hall replaced the old Fremont buffet, continuing the post-pandemic trend of replacing Las Vegas’ buffet eateries with individual traders and food halls.

The completion of this renovation is a significant milestone for Boyd Gaming and the Fremont Hotel and Casino, marking the end of more than a year’s work and a substantial financial investment.