Carson Nugget opens smoke-free slot area and bar

Players at the new slot area in the Carson Nugget will be leaving their butts at the door.

The downtown casino will celebrate the grand opening of its first nonsmoking slot area at 6 p.m. Wednesday, starting with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The 3,000-square-foot, smoke-free slot area has 70 machines and a new bar, which includes another element to tempt the health conscious. Bartenders will mix fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs in their cocktail creations.

The Double H smoke-free bar is dedicated to Hop and Howard Adams, the brothers who bought the Nugget back in 1957. The casino is still owned by the Adams family.

The Nugget renovated the bingo room into the nonsmoking slot area after listening to the requests of guests, said spokesman Kelly Brant. It is the start of a casino-wide remodeling project, which features the first computer controlled ambient lighting system in Nevada by Color Kinetics, of Boston.

The lighting system will run more than 500 mood-setting effects reflected off the ceiling, "instead of having direct light point down at the screen and causing glare," Brant said.

American General Development, of Carson City, is removing the old catwalks once used for casino observation, before video cameras became standard, and taking the ceiling up to 13 feet.

"Eventually this will be done throughout the entire casino," Brand said. "We're one-third completed. We're looking at completing the project in the next two years."

Construction will be halted during the busy summer tourist season, to continue in the fall.

Grand opening promotions and giveaways will continue through the month.

• Contact reporter Becky Bosshart at bbosshart@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1212.