1100 Nugget Avenue
Sparks, NV 89431
*Disclaimer: We were not paid for this review. All opinions are our own and based on our personal experience. Your experience may be different.
The Nugget Casino resort is a budget friendly place to stay in the Reno-Sparks region. This one is located away from the noisy downtown casinos, so a good choice if you are seeking a bit more peace and quiet. There are numerous amenities to enjoy including 8 restaurants, an indoor atrium pool, a fitness center, and a 24/7 arcade. A convenient airport shuttle runs every hour from 6am-11:30pm. Free self parking ($10 valet) and Tesla charging available. Mike and I decided to try out John Ascuaga's Nugget as an alternative to our usual Reno resort, The Grand Sierra. We primarily choice this resort as they are one of the few to offer Bingo. It was convenient to walk downstairs and play Bingo without having to get in our car.
The Nugget is located right off the highway in Sparks. You can't miss the big bright sign. This casino is not located anywhere near the other Reno casinos, so this could be good or bad for you depending on what you are looking for. The Nugget is a nice clean building with great landscaping. The gorgeous pool area and waterfall are definitely the highlights of this property. The lobby and rooms have been recently renovated.
The Nugget has a fantastic indoor atrium pool surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows so you can enjoy the mountain scenery. The hours are great too, opening at 6am and closing at 10, so early birds can enjoy some peace. I loved swimming and relaxing in the hot tub. This is a major advantage as most of the Reno casinos only have outdoor pools, if any. The fitness center is on the 5th floor by the pool area.
The Nugget is one of the only casinos in the area with Bingo. Their games are great because they nice and short, unlike the smaller casinos which offer the 3+ hour boring sessions. I think we played for about an hour which was plenty! Here, we were in and out in under an hour. Really cheap too with paper games from $5-10 per person.
There are plenty of restaurants on site, a gift shop, salon, and a showroom.
Update 2025: Check with the casino for current Bingo promotions as pricing is subject to change. There are a number of restaurants on-site including causal options like Starbucks to fine dining at Anthony's Chophouse.
Room rates vary depending on the day of week and if any promotions are being offered. Make sure to sign up for a Player's Card as they frequently email you special deals and promotions. Also, check the website for package deals. Rates can be as low as $50 during the week and up to $150 on weekends.
We stayed in one of the Courtyard Rooms: nothing really fancy, just pretty basic. There was free WiFi. Access to the gym and pool is included in the room rate. We had a big view of the neon Nugget sign outside of our window which was pretty cool. Mountain views available for an extra charge. Update 2025: Rooms have been updated with a more modern design. The Resort Tower Rooms are a bit more expensive, but also more spacious. Also, the resort fee is now a whopping $46, which unfortunately is pretty consistent across the industry. This includes: pool and fitness center access, 4 bottles of water upon arrival, free airline boarding pass printing, and a downtown coupon book. I recommend using the pool each day of your stay to feel like you are getting something out of the outrageous fee!
Overall, our stay at the Nugget was fun and affordable. We enjoyed playing bingo, using the indoor atrium pool and fitness center, and trying out the Rotisserie Buffet. Although it isn't our favorite resort in Reno, it was a nice change of pace.
