I go back as far as the late 80s for my first trip and the 1992-96 period as a kind of first heyday. I remember taking a buyout offer in 1996 but having to use vacation time or lose it (no other options offered), so I did 3 trips out there that spring. They were real doozies booked on DL with itins like ATL-CVG-MSP-SLC-LAS-LAX-CVG-ATL or something whacked out like that. For the miles, of course, which were worth a lot more then. Also got upgraded on every segment on that first trip, and if you combine the first-class drinks and then free ones at the tables, the potential for problems there was truly frightening.

I've always been a downtown person more than a Strip person and really have an aversion to the kinds of crowds seen on the south Strip. I'd swoop in or out if there was some concert event or other reason to be there, and in its early years the Paris had one of the best buffets there, IMO (just a shadow of that now).

After much thought and trialing different approaches, I also decided that having a rental car to make it easier to get away from tables was helpful. I'd explore the city around it a lot, which could turn up interesting finds.

Long story short, it's undeniably far more crowded now, traffic feels like it's a noose slowly tightening, and the games have roughly 3x the minimums as before and worse odds because of unfavorable house rules. The Jackie Gaughan places with 0.16% house advantage blackjack, including the Gold Spike, Western and El Cortez, have changed hands (the first two had $1 games with honest odds). The houses still did fine because they'd put heat on anyone betting greens or higher, and most people don't take the time to learn the basic strategy or the game. Then and now.

The blackjack and the $5 pai gow (a slow-moving game) were good for staying at the table and usually not losing that much.

There were many more buffets, and I think those peaked pre-pandemic with things like the Silverton's Polynesian night and AYCE ahi poke. Still far fewer buffets now.

Anyway, the city has changed and it's hard to think of something that's gotten better. I've changed, too, though, with the food/drink perks much more of a health hazard these days anyway.

One thing I do more often these days is just drive out of Las Vegas immediately and stay in either Mesquite or Laughlin. Those places used to be too boring but now arguably have just enough to not be impossibly like that. The Avi resort in Laughlin is a true 4-star that dips as low as the $40s with no resort fee. The Virgin River in Mesquite is also very well-run. But the real atraction with those places if getting out into nature nearby, whether it's the old route 66 or one of the national parks in Utah.