There were bigger casinos. There were richer casinos. But for a brief, electric stretch in the 1960s, nothing on Fremont Street moved faster than Diamond Jim’s.
The property started out as part of the older Nevada Club, one of the many mid-century gambling joints packed into the crowded corridor of “Glitter Gulch” in of downtown Las Vegas. But around 1962, it was rebranded with a new name, a new attitude, around a simple idea: speed sells.
Boasting a “Jackpot every 27 seconds,” Diamond Jim’s stood out even amidst the clattering coins and bright lights with a bold red and white neon sign. When you walked in you were hit with a wave of heat and sound and the feeling that somebody, somewhere was always winning.
By the late 1960s, consolidation had begun reshaping the downtown scene. The era of small, independent casinos was giving way to larger, more ambitious properties that could dominate entire blocks instead of fighting for foot traffic.
Every one of our vintage poker chip bolo ties is handcrafted with premium USA-made leather cord that’s braided on precision Italian braiding machines by our friends at Weaver Leather Supply, feature a genuine vintage poker chip, and are finished with a stainless steel tension clasp that glides smoothly and effortlessly until you lock it into place.
Materials:
Vintage Diamond Jim’s Poker Chip (c. 1962-1969)
Premium USA-made leather cord
Stainless steel tension clasp
Sizing:
All of our bolo ties are 36 inches long which we find to be the most versatile size for all torso lengths.
History:
Diamond Jim's Nevada Club was a small downtown casino on Fremont Street that was originally part of the older Nevada Club, before it was rebranded as “Diamond Jim’s” around 1962. It became well-known as a lively, fast-paced gambling spot, famously boasting a jackpot every half a minute. The club’s bold red-and-white neon burned brightly during the “Glitter Gulch” era when Binion’s Horseshoe, Golden Nugget, and The Mint were all packed shoulder-to-shoulder, competing for cash in a sea of light and sound. In the end, Diamond Jim was cut down in his prime when in 1969 the Golden Nugget began a westward expansion that ate up both Diamond Jim’s Nevada Club and the Lucky Nevada Club.
In 1969, the Golden Nugget made its move west, and Diamond Jim’s Nevada Club, along with the nearby Lucky Nevada Club, were unlucky enough to stand in its way.
Today, Diamond Jim’s lives on the way places like these always do. Old poker chips, worn out matchbooks., and faded photographs where the neon still looks impossibly bright.
