Tropicana Express · Laughlin

Year Opened

1988

Hours

Open 24/7

Age Restriction

21++

Property Type

Casinos

Regulator

Nevada Gaming Control Board

Operator

Gaming and Leisure Properties

Tables

18

Slot Machines

1,000

Formerly

Ramada Express

About Tropicana Express

Tropicana Express is a commercial casino at 2121 South Casino Drive in Laughlin, Nevada, operated by Gaming and Leisure Properties. The property opened in 1988 as the Ramada Express — operating under that name until 2007, when it was rebranded as Tropicana Express in connection with the Tropicana brand partnership. All gaming is regulated by the Nevada Gaming Control Board, with a minimum gambling age of 21. The casino floor operates 24 hours a day.

Gaming and Leisure Properties (GLP) is a real estate investment trust (REIT) specializing in gaming-adjacent real estate — it owns the underlying property assets while operators run the casinos under long-term lease agreements. The Tropicana Express in Laughlin sits at 2121 S Casino Drive on the Nevada bank of the Colorado River, within the casino corridor that stretches along the river between Laughlin and the Arizona border.

A note on design history: the Ramada Express identity was built around a railroad theme — a full-scale train ran between the property and a remote parking area. The train and railroad theming were distinctive elements of the late 1980s Laughlin boom, and parts of the design heritage are still visible at the property. For visitors navigating the Laughlin casino strip, Tropicana Express occupies the 2121 Casino Drive address approximately half a mile south of the Edgewater Hotel and Colorado Belle.

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Tropicana Express

Laughlin, Nevada

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Tropicana Express in Laughlin, Nevada

Gaming Floor

Tropicana Express carries approximately 1,000 gaming machines alongside an 18-table game section. The machine bank covers standard reel slots and Video Poker alongside Electronic Keno and Electronic Roulette terminals. Bingo rounds out the gaming program with scheduled sessions. Periodic poker Tournaments are listed among the game types. The floor covers the essential Laughlin casino gaming menu with the addition of several progressive and specialty variants.

Table Game Variants

Tropicana Express’s table section includes several game variants that stand out from the standard Laughlin casino menu. Fortune Pai Gow Progressive is Pai Gow Poker with a fortune bonus side bet paying on premium five-card combinations, plus a progressive jackpot component. Three Card Poker Progressive is Three Card Poker with an added progressive jackpot side bet. Royal Match 21 is a Blackjack side bet that pays on suited hands — two suited cards trigger a lower payout while the “Royal Match” (king and queen of the same suit) triggers the top payout. Mississippi Stud is a community-card stud poker variant without a dealer hand — the player bets against a fixed pay table rather than competing against the house hand.

Double Deck Blackjack sits alongside standard Blackjack, giving experienced players the option of the two-deck format’s more favorable expected return compared to six- or eight-deck shoe games.

Amenities

Confirmed amenities at Tropicana Express include a restaurant, self-parking, and valet service alongside the 24/7 gaming floor. The restaurant serves the casino’s continuous operating schedule and the Laughlin corridor’s visitor traffic. Valet supplements self-parking for guests arriving at Casino Drive.

★ Editor note

Tropicana Express — Mississippi Stud, Fortune Pai Gow Progressive, and the former Ramada Express railroad casino in Laughlin

Tropicana Express has been at 2121 S Casino Drive since 1988 — first as the railroad-themed Ramada Express, now under the Gaming and Leisure Properties / Tropicana brand. The 18-table floor punches above its count with Fortune Pai Gow Progressive, Three Card Poker Progressive, Mississippi Stud, and Royal Match 21 alongside standard Blackjack, Double Deck Blackjack, and Craps. For Laughlin visitors who want more game variety than the corridor average, Tropicana Express warrants a look. Visit troplaughlin.com or check in person for current promotions and table minimums.

Priya Sharma

Responsible Gaming Editor

Licensing and Regulation

Tropicana Express is a commercial gaming property licensed by the Nevada Gaming Control Board. Sports wagering is legal under Nevada state law. The minimum gambling age is 21.