One thousand people were employeed, wearing colorfully costumed, circus-themed uniforms. In total, fourteen bars and restaurants were contained within the building. Circus acts were situated above the pit, along with trapeze and high wire acts. Inside the casino contained a total of 686 slot machines, nineteen blackjack tables, two roulette tables, and eight craps tables. At the time, the property only contained a casino. Two years after Jay Sarno opened his famous Caesars Palace on August 5, 1966, he had another idea to build a new casino located near the hotel, this time in the style of a large circus tent, along with attractions that would make it a family-oriented casino.Ĭircus Circus, costing $15 million, officially opened at 10 PM on Octoas a ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by Jay Sarno himself, alongside officials, TV and movie stars, and reporters from around the United States were met.
