Boyd Gaming has announced it will be demolishing its Joker’s Wild Casino in the Las Vegas suburb of Henderson. It will be replacing it with a brand new casino called Cadence Crossing, and construction is expected to begin later this year. Phase one is set to complete in early 2026.
The existing Jokers Wild Casino will remain open until the main Cadence Crossing building is open, and then it will be demolished to make room for phase two of the new build.
The new casino is named after the nearby master-planned community of Cadence. The residential community has not yet finished building, and is set to grow from 5,000 current residents to 12,000 over the next two years.
“As the community grows, we can grow with it based on demand, so we feel pretty good about the opportunity,” Boyd CEO Keith Smith told investors in a recent earnings call.
“A modest investment on day one means opportunity to grow into the future.”
The Casino
Boyd has not yet specified many details on the project. It is set to be funded out of a $100 million capital allocation for expanding its Nevada casinos, as set out in the company’s recent financial report.
We do know Cadence Crossing will feature a 10,000-square-foot casino with 450 slots, several dining options, and live entertainment.
The first casino on the Jokers Wild site was opened in 1990. It was called Cattle Baron Casino, and was directly owned by members of the extended Boyd family. Boyd Gaming founder Sam Boyd died in 1993, and shortly after, the company listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
Then Boyd Gaming used the funds raised from going public to buy out the Cattle Baron Casino from the Boyd family. Before renovating and reopening it as Jokers Wild Casino, which it has been continuously ever since. It will stay open until sometime in early 2026, when it will close for good. As it will remain open for two years, it will not join the venerable Mirage and Tropicana Las Vegas as Sin City casinos that closed in 2024.
Boyd’s Moves
Boyd owns several Las Vegas casinos, including the iconic Fremont Hotel and Casino in downtown. It also operates others across Nevada, including Sam’s Town Las Vegas on Boulder Highway, the Suncoast Hotel & Casino, and the currently-shuttered Eastside Cannery.
Recent speculation among business insiders is that Boyd may be mulling a massive takeover bid for fellow gambling operator Penn Entertainment.
Key figures in the company have neither confirmed nor denied the rumors of the potential $10 billion deal.
David is an online casino expert who specializes in online slots and boasts over 10 years experience writing about iGaming. He has written for a wide range of notable publications, including eSports Insider and WordPlay Magazine.
David graduated Derby University with a BA Degree in English Literature and Creative Writing.
