O'Shea's in Las Vegas

Nestled between the Imperial Palace and the Flamingo on the Las Vegas strip, O’Shea’s Casino has something for everyone. Everyone, that is, who likes raucous drinking, irresponsible gambling, obnoxious crowds and neon lights.

Although smaller than its renowned neighbors, O’Shea’s has an ample supply of noisy slot machines (more than 500 of them), which remorselessly gobble up the coins that are continuously fed to them by apoplectic, near-catatonic vacationers. The machines are essentially fancy change dumpsters that entice suckers to throw away their money with electronic chirps and shiny, blinking lights. The casino also has a number of blackjack, craps and roulette tables governed by sedate, stone-faced dealers, as well as a low-limit poker room with two tables and a bar.

But you can find these attractions at most any Vegas casino. What sets O’Shea’s apart from the others is its modesty. The low-stakes poker games, penny slots and cheap counter food attract those visitors who didn’t come to Vegas for glamorous card games, sumptuous strippers and Tom Jones concerts, but to quietly get drunk and lose money.

“O’Shea’s is less pretentious than a lot of the places in the area,” said David Chapman, who traveled to Vegas last month from Seattle. “It has a loose, frat feel to it.”

Indeed, O’Shea’s has an 18-hour happy hour, from 2 a.m. to 8 p.m., which includes $1 drafts of Miller High Life.

Chapman also made note of the unusually friendly people who congregate in and around O’Shea’s, which is located at 3555 South Las Vegas Blvd. He was especially fond of a beer stand outside the casino’s entrance that offered $2 drafts. “That is where I met a really great guy named Stevie-Steve. He ought to be on the Las Vegas welcoming committee,” Chapman said, describing a man who introduced himself and gave him a business card, which, curiously, did not advertise any business but included the man’s name and phone number.

Dirk DeGroot, also of Seattle, commented that there was surprisingly little cigarette smoke at O’Shea’s in comparison to most Vegas casinos. Noting the lowbrow attire and drunken atmosphere, DeGroot said he appreciated the ease with which one can get over-served at O’Shea’s. “It has kind of a white trash feel to it, but not the bad white trash, the good one,” he said.

Jesse Lewis, who lives in Moscow, Idaho, but originally hails from the New Hampshire Seacoast, said he plans to make O’Shea’s a regular stop during any trip to Vegas. “O’Shea’s had more of a Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom feel, and lacked the glamour of the other Vegas establishments we experienced,” he said during a recent visit. “Plus, it was the only place to find a seat that was not behind a slot machine.”

Vegas cab drivers recommend O’Shea’s as a good casino to grab a cheap sandwich. Upon visiting the casino, you discover that the cabbies are referring to a Subway restaurant on the premises. Pizza by the slice, hot dogs, fountain drinks and other fast food options are also available. The food is a bit rubbery, but it is crucial and affordable sustenance during booze-fueled nights that can stretch on for days.  

Oh, and O’Shea’s has beer pong. A number of tables covered with partially-filled plastic cups line a portion of the ground floor, surrounded by inebriated college students wasting their tuition money. Somehow, the act of daintily tossing little plastic balls into cups seems to elicit an inordinate amount of macho gesturing and boasting. Of course, a game of beer pong can easily be executed at home with a piece of plywood and some ping pong balls, but how would you replicate the cacophony of dinging noises and video game sounds that Vegas provides as background music?

Built in 1989, O’Shea’s is actually operated by the neighboring Flamingo. The Irish casino earned a place in the 2001 Guinness Book of World Records for participating in Guinness Beer’s “Raise a Pint” simultaneous toast. Despite the fact that it frequently hosts accomplished hypnotists and ventriloquists, O’Shea’s has no adjoining hotel and receives low ratings from most casino enthusiasts. But can you really trust the opinion of a casino enthusiast?

There are few reviews of O’Shea’s on the Vegas cityguide Web site, but one patron had this to say about the establishment: “Are you kidding me with this place? It’s freakin’ awesome. Centrally located in the middle of the strip, this place was our favorite hang out.”