Pioneer Club Las Vegas
Former casino and cocktail lounge on Fremont Street in downtown Las Vegas, best known for its historic Vegas Vic neon cowboy sign.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Pioneer Club Las Vegas was a historic casino and cocktail lounge on Fremont Street in downtown Las Vegas, Nevada. It opened in April 1942 at 25 East Fremont Street, on the corner of Fremont Street and First Street, and operated for more than five decades before closing as a casino in 1995. The property occupied a building constructed in 1918 that had originally been used as a restaurant, linking the establishment to the older commercial history of Fremont Street before the emergence of Las Vegas's large integrated resorts. For much of its operating life, the Pioneer Club was one of downtown Las Vegas's leading casinos. The business was known not only for gaming but also for its highly visible street presence. From 1956 to 1967 it used the name New Pioneer Club, before returning to the Pioneer Club identity. In 1965, the club acquired the nearby Elwell Hotel at 200 South First Street and renamed it the Pioneer Club Hotel. The hotel was sold in 1969 and subsequently became the Golden Hotel. In 1984, the Golden Nugget acquired the hotel property and demolished it, replacing it with a parking garage serving the Golden Nugget casino and hotel. The Pioneer Club expanded its casino footprint in 1983 by purchasing Club Bingo, a neighboring operation to the west. Ownership during the club's later decades included Margaret Elardi, who also owned the Frontier Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip and later the Pioneer Hotel & Gambling Hall in Laughlin, as well as Gold Strike Resorts. In 1992, new owners acquired the Pioneer Club. The property faced increasing competitive pressure from larger casinos on Fremont Street, including properties positioned at both ends of the developing Fremont Street Experience, and from the newer megaresorts on the Las Vegas Strip. Unable to match the scale and visitor draw of those competitors, the owners closed the casino in 1995, the same year the Fremont Street Experience was completed. The building did not immediately disappear from the downtown streetscape. It remained vacant until 1998, when Schiff Enterprises purchased the property and opened a souvenir store inside. The historic Pioneer Club signage remained on the exterior, preserving the name as a visual landmark even after casino operations ended. The property's most enduring symbol is Vegas Vic, a 40-foot neon cowboy installed on the exterior in 1951. The character originated with a 1947 Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce promotional image and was adapted into a neon sign by the Young Electric Sign Company for the Pioneer Club's owners. Artist Pat Denner modeled the figure on the chamber's image of a cowboy wearing blue jeans, a yellow-checked shirt, and a red bandanna. Vegas Vic became associated with the Pioneer Club and continued to stand after the casino closed. The building and its neon cowboy were also prominently visible in scenes from the 1971 James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever. Although the Pioneer Club no longer operates as a casino, its signage and Vegas Vic helped preserve its place in the visual history of downtown Las Vegas.
History
The Pioneer Club occupied a 1918 building on Fremont Street in downtown Las Vegas that originally served as a restaurant. The Pioneer Club and its cocktail lounge opened in April 1942 at the intersection of Fremont Street and First Street. Its location placed it in the historic center of Las Vegas, where casinos, hotels, restaurants, and entertainment venues developed along Fremont Street before the city’s later concentration of resort development on the Strip. The club became an established downtown casino and for many years ranked among the more prominent gaming properties in the area. Between 1956 and 1967, it operated under the name New Pioneer Club. In 1965, the business expanded its property interests by purchasing the Elwell Hotel at 200 South First Street, directly behind the casino. The hotel was renamed the Pioneer Club Hotel, but the property was sold in 1969 and became the Golden Hotel. The Pioneer Club’s most recognizable visual feature emerged in the postwar period. In 1947, the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce developed a promotional cowboy character known as Vegas Vic. The Pioneer Club’s owners later commissioned a large neon version from the Young Electric Sign Company. Pat Denner modeled the figure on the chamber’s cowboy image, depicting him in blue jeans, a yellow-checked shirt, and a red bandanna. The approximately 40-foot sign was installed on the exterior of the Pioneer Club in 1951. Vegas Vic, including his well-known greeting, became one of the best-known symbols of Fremont Street and remained associated with the building long after the casino ceased operating. In 1983, the Pioneer Club purchased Club Bingo, located immediately to the west, and used the acquisition to enlarge its casino area. The following year, the former Pioneer Club Hotel site changed again: the Golden Nugget acquired the hotel property, demolished the building, and constructed a parking garage serving its casino and hotel. Ownership of the Pioneer Club changed during its later years. Margaret Elardi, who also owned the Frontier Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip and later the Pioneer Hotel & Gambling Hall in Laughlin, owned the club for a period. Gold Strike Resorts was also associated with its ownership history. New owners purchased the Pioneer Club in 1992, but the property faced an increasingly difficult competitive environment. Larger casinos were positioned at both ends of Fremont Street, and the development of the Fremont Street Experience further changed the area's pedestrian and entertainment dynamics. At the same time, large new megaresorts on the Strip drew visitors and gaming revenue away from smaller downtown properties. The owners closed the Pioneer Club as a casino in 1995, the year the Fremont Street Experience was completed. The building remained vacant until 1998, when Schiff Enterprises acquired it and opened a souvenir store. The Pioneer Club’s vintage exterior signs survived, as did the Vegas Vic sign, allowing the former casino to continue functioning as a recognizable piece of Las Vegas visual heritage. Its exterior was also prominently shown in the 1971 James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever. The property is therefore remembered less as a current gaming operator than as a historic Fremont Street casino, a surviving neon landmark, and a symbol of the pre-megaresort era of Las Vegas.
- 1998
Souvenir store opens in the former casino
[1]Schiff Enterprises purchases the vacant building and opens a souvenir store while the historic exterior signs remain.
- 1995
Casino operations end
[1]The Pioneer Club closes as a casino, coinciding with the completion of the Fremont Street Experience.
- 1992
New owners acquire the Pioneer Club
[1]A new ownership group purchases the casino amid growing competition from larger downtown casinos and Strip megaresorts.
- 1984
Former hotel site becomes a Golden Nugget parking garage
[1]The Golden Nugget acquires and demolishes the former Pioneer Club Hotel property, replacing it with a parking garage.
- 1983
Club Bingo is acquired
[1]The Pioneer Club purchases neighboring Club Bingo and expands its casino area.
- 1971
The property appears in Diamonds Are Forever
[1]The Pioneer Club exterior and Vegas Vic sign are prominently visible in the James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever.
- 1969
Pioneer Club Hotel is sold
[1]The hotel is sold and subsequently operates as the Golden Hotel.
- 1965
Elwell Hotel is acquired
[1]The Pioneer Club purchases the nearby Elwell Hotel and renames it the Pioneer Club Hotel.
- 1956
The club begins using the New Pioneer Club name
[1]The casino adopts the New Pioneer Club name, which it uses through 1967.
- 1951
Vegas Vic neon sign is installed
[1]A large neon version of Vegas Vic, produced by the Young Electric Sign Company, is erected on the Pioneer Club exterior.
Products and positioning
A historic downtown Las Vegas casino whose identity was closely tied to Fremont Street, period neon signage, and the Vegas Vic cowboy landmark. After its closure, the property functioned as a heritage-oriented commercial building and souvenir destination rather than an operating casino.
Casino gaming · 1942
Pioneer Club casino
The principal operation was a downtown Las Vegas casino offering conventional gaming and related hospitality services. It operated from 1942 until 1995 and was regarded for many years as one of the leading casinos on Fremont Street. Its later decline reflected competition from larger downtown properties and the growing scale of Las Vegas Strip resorts.
Food and beverage · 1942
Pioneer Club cocktail lounge
The cocktail lounge opened alongside the Pioneer Club in April 1942. It formed part of the property's traditional casino-and-hospitality offering, although the available reference material does not specify its menu, programming, or operating history in detail.
Hotel accommodation · 1965
Pioneer Club Hotel
The Pioneer Club acquired the nearby Elwell Hotel in 1965 and renamed it the Pioneer Club Hotel. The hotel was sold in 1969, became the Golden Hotel, and was later demolished after acquisition by the Golden Nugget.
Neon landmark and signage · 1951
Vegas Vic
Vegas Vic is a roughly 40-foot neon cowboy sign installed on the Pioneer Club exterior in 1951. Based on a Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce promotional character created in 1947, the sign became a major visual symbol of Fremont Street and survived the closure of the casino.
Brand decisions
1998
Conversion to a souvenir storeStrategyBackground
The former casino building had remained vacant after the end of gaming operations.
Action taken
Schiff Enterprises purchased the property and opened a souvenir store inside.
Aftermath
The site continued as a commercial and visual landmark rather than returning to casino use.
1995
Closure of casino operationsStrategyBackground
The Pioneer Club could not compete effectively with larger casinos at the ends of Fremont Street, the completed Fremont Street Experience, and newer megaresorts on the Strip.
Action taken
The owners closed the Pioneer Club as a casino.
Aftermath
The building remained vacant until 1998, when Schiff Enterprises converted it into a souvenir store. The historic signage and Vegas Vic remained on the exterior.
1983
Purchase of Club BingoM&ABackground
The Pioneer Club operated in a competitive downtown casino district and sought to increase its physical gaming footprint.
Action taken
The club purchased Club Bingo, located immediately to the west, and enlarged its casino area.
Aftermath
The transaction expanded the property, but the casino later faced stronger competition from larger Fremont Street properties and Strip megaresorts.
Sources3 sources
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