Rediscovering Forgotten Retro Casino Gems
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For most retro gaming enthusiasts, nostalgia tends to center around platformers, RPGs, and side-scrolling brawlers. Now, we love games like Warlock as much as the next retro gaming enthusiast, but there’s a whole subgenre of video games that’s practically been forgotten about…
Did you know that during the peak home gaming eras of the 1980s and ‘90s, poker and casino-themed games were immensely popular? Seriously! Casino simulations and challenging poker games were as much in-play on the likes of the Nintendo Entertainment System as Castlevania. More than just filler games, these 8-bit and 16-bit gems were designed to replicate the thrill of the casino floor—with varying levels of success, admittedly.
While other genres like RPG and strategy games have gone from strength to strength, these casino classics have faded into obscurity. Of course, today we have the digital casino industry, with virtual poker tables and interactive slots allowing players to compete for real money prizes, but is there still a place for the casino sim?
An Introduction to Online Casinos
It’s not like casino games are thin on the ground here in 2025. You might have come across iGaming before, which is an umbrella term encompassing sectors like online casino gaming and poker (as well as sports betting). iGaming is as lucrative as video gaming, having grown into a vast industry over the past couple of decades, with online casinos pulling ahead in the popularity stakes.
Interestingly, they’re also helping to keep a number of retro casino games alive too…
Take a game like video poker, which has been a staple of brick-and-mortar casinos since the 1970s. Here in the digital age, most operators will offer video poker online, with some variants deliberately evoking a retro feel. You can expect to find such games as standard video poker, alongside themed slots, blackjack, roulette, and more on both desktop and mobile casino platforms. This proves there’s a real love for casino games… which brings us to our next section.
Casino Retro Gems Worth Rediscovering
Whether or not you’re old enough to remember playing retro games the first time around, it’s unlikely casino sims will make mainstream ‘best of’ lists. That’s something we want to fix, so here are just a few of the casino video games from yesteryear that are most definitely worth (re)discovering.
Vegas Dream
Console: NES
Year: 1988
Developer: HAL Laboratory
Let’s kick things off with Vegas Dream, a casino simulation game unlike any other casino simulation games. What makes this particular gem stand out is its integration of several RPG-like elements. For an 8-bit title, it’s surprisingly immersive too…
The game begins with an amped-up depiction of your arrival in Las Vegas, setting the stage for the casino extravaganza ahead. Entering the building, you’re given a starting bankroll that allows you to participate in games like blackjack roulette and keno, as well as slot machines, of course.
The RPG elements come in with the various social interactions you can experience with NPCs, which often lead to unexpected outcomes. You can even get hitched within the game—when in Vegas and all that!
Casino Kid
Console: NES
Year: 1989
Developer: Sofel
If you can remember anything about casino sims from the 1980s, Casino Kid is guaranteed to be the game you remember. While Vegas Dream sprinkled in RPG elements, Casino Kid went a whole step further by fusing adventure-style progression with riveting card gaming.
The aim of the game is to defeat a series of increasingly skilled dealers (aka end-of-level bosses) to ultimately face off against the Casino King (the Big Boss).
Casino Kid was pretty sophisticated for its time, what with its super smart AI functionality—blackjack rounds are especially challenging. Graphics, though primitive compared to today’s AAA games, nevertheless manage to create a convincing enough atmosphere.
Vegas Stakes
Console: SNES, Game Boy
Year: 1993
Developer: HAL Laboratory
The casino continued to be a source of inspiration for games developers as the 1990s unfolded. In 1993, HAL Laboratory followed up Vegas Dream with Vegas Stakes (confusingly called Las Vegas Dream in Japan), this time in a new portable version for the Game Boy.
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it is clearly the motto HAL Lab was working with here, albeit with superior graphics and character designs. Much like its predecessor, Vegas Stakes is set in the famous Sin City, with the action taking place in several casinos this time.
Just as the graphics and the level of challenge within the casino games on offer have been improved, so too are the inter-character interactions of Vegas Stakes. For instance, in the console version, you arrive in Vegas with a bunch of friends who are just as eager to hit the card tables. While you’ll periodically meet up with them through the game, there are also several other random encounters with casino patrons that alter the course of gameplay.
Casino Sims in 2025
So why did these games vanish from mainstream consciousness?
Part of the reason is that they never had the same cultural impact as platformers or RPGs. Casino games, by their very nature, were niche. They appealed to players looking for something different but never built the kind of dedicated fanbase that Mario, Link, or Sonic The Hedgehog enjoyed.
Another factor is that gambling in gaming took a very different turn. Today, instead of singular casino games, we can access entire casinos in the digital realm. Plus, elements of gambling mechanics, such as chance, have made their way into mainstream genres—loot boxes, gacha systems, and even microtransactions all owe a debt of gratitude to the various eras of casino gaming.
Did you miss out on Casino Kid or Vegas Stakes the first time around? Well, as retro gaming specialists, we encourage you to check them out! They’re genuinely worth revisiting.
