Two weeks after imploding its Eastside Cannery, Boyd Gaming welcomed its first new Las Vegas area casino in nearly 20 years when it opened Cadence Crossing in Henderson.
Farther south on Boulder Highway than the Eastside Cannery that opened in 2008, Cadence Crossing replaces the adjacent Joker’s Wild. It closed Sunday night after opening in 1990 as the Cattle Baron Casino, before turning into Joker’s Wild in 1993.
Cadence Crossing is the newest casino opening in Las Vegas since the Durango Casino & Resort debuted in the southwest valley in December 2023. The new casino, which measures 24,000 square feet, is adjacent to Cadence that in 2025 was the third fastest-growing master-plan community in the nation, even surpassing the affluent Summerlin in the west Las Vegas valley. It’s designed to cater to east Henderson residents and is three miles south of Boyd Gaming’s Sam’s Town. It’s also three miles from Red Rock Resorts’ Sunset Station in Henderson.
The property, which held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday morning ahead of a noon opening, features 450 slot machines, sports betting kiosks, two restaurants, a center bar, and lounge. Joker’s Wild will be demolished to pave the way for any future additions, possibly including a hotel.
Steve Schutte, executive vice president of operations for Boyd Gaming, told the audience gathered outside of the casino doors ahead of the opening that it is hard to believe Boyd ground broke on the casino in April 2025 and completed it ahead of schedule. “When you walk through these doors, you will be greeted by a modern and stylish casino experience – worthy of the Cadence community and the city of Henderson.”
Henderson Mayor Michelle Romero thanked Boyd for putting a lot of time and effort into making it a premier destination for the residents of the area. She credited the operator for not only keeping the 100 employees from the Joker’s Wild, but adding to the staff.
“They are beautifying this stretch of the community with his incredible new building,” Romero said. “I want to thank them for the investment they have made and the belief they have in this area. And they did it in a one-year time period, which is almost unheard of.”
The casino has the 22 seat Center Bar, which Schutte said serves as the social heart of the property. There’s also the Lounge with ambient lighting and seating for couples and groups.
The property’s culinary headliner, Tin Lizard Bar & Grill, blends comfort food favorites with modern gastropub creativity serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, executives said. It will host live entertainment Thursday through Sunday.
Adjacent to that area is a 24-hour quick-service restaurant in Tacos Los Gauchos.
David Strow, vice president of corporate gaming for Boyd Gaming, told reporters during a tour of the casino before its opening that Cadence was the reason for opening the casino.
“That was a compelling opportunity to step up our game and offer a new gaming entertainment experience here,” Strow said. “We’re optimistic it’s a product that the community will embrace.”
Strow said the transition from Joker’s Wild to Cadence Crossing has been smooth and everyone is looking forward to the new property, which is a significant upgrade.
“This is a facility that will appeal to the people of Cadence who weren’t here a few years ago,” Strow said. “Jokers Wild did very well for us for about 30 years, but thousands of residents weren’t here five years ago and we’re offering them a modern product.”
While Cadence Crossing is smaller than other Boyd properties, Strow said the advantage of the site is that once Joker’s Wild is cleared, a lot of land will be available to grow if the property is successful like they expect.
There are no table games at the property’s opening beyond electronic ones, but that could be part of any future expansion, Strow said.
As a locals casino, Strow said the property will focus on offering value. For example, there will be a $5.99 cheeseburger special. The two bars will offer select $3 beers and cocktails.
“The local casino model is built on value,” Strow said. “That’s appealing to people and draws them in.”
Opening at noon on a Wednesday allows the property to ease into operations ahead of what’s expected to be a busy weekend, with the NCAA basketball tournament and curiosity from local residents.
“People in Las Vegas love to see a new casino, and so I expect that to be the case,” Strow said. “We will see a lot of people arrive today and hopefully into the weekend.”
