The Neon Gutter

The Neon Gutter Crew ventures acrossr the Vegas Valley to stay at some weird hotels, the ones frequent Vegas visitors may have heard of, and been tempted by the price of, but know nothing about. The nights run the gamut from ultra-luxe to a joint where a used Band-aid held the batteries in the remote. Come along to learn of one hidden gem, how long we can spend playing with electric curtains, and how to escape with your life from one of Las Vegas's worst.

Dan, Matt, and Burt plan their next trip to Vegas and leave their lodging to chance. They have thrown the strangest hotels in town--the ones that make you scratch your head when you see them on booking sites--onto a spinning wheel and left where they lay their heads purely to chance. Join us as we find out what oddball joints we're staying at on our next trip.

The Neon Gutter pays tribute to Jackie Gaughan and his empire of low-roller joints. Jackie was Las Vegas's most unassuming casino owner and  bbecame the linchpin of Fremont Street through ownership of the Union Plaza, Las Vegas Club, El Cortez, Gold Spike, and Western, all where customers got a square deal and few frills. Many of the Neon Gutter's best memories took place at Jackie's tables, in his hotel rooms, and late night in his diners.

The Neon Gutter Crew jumps in the Wayback Machine to talk about that one time they were popular and people liked them, because they created CheapoVegas.com (which they no longer own), and introduced the world to beloved Casino Boy.

The Neon Gutter Crew ventures back to Las Vegas and encounters dragons, avoids scorpions, and embarks on a deeply important project involving Cheetos. Along the way, there are tiny horses, cheap craps, Las Vegas's sexiest aviation-themed burlesque, and the best Monday night dance party in the Valley.

It's Man versus Machine as the podcast takes on A.I. in a battle for Gutter supremacy. Find out if Artificial Intelligence knows as much about being a Vegas cheapskate as the very natural and unintelligent Neon Gutter Crew on finding the best deals, cheapest meals, and scariest thrills.

Climb into the wayback machine with us. We're turning the dial all the way to 1999, the very first time Burt joined the antics of Matt and Dan. And so did Jerry, a "Las Vegas newbie"Vegas Virgin" who Matt and Dan both tried to take under their wings and teach about the "Real Vegas." He loved it! At least, we think he did. We sort of lost track of him that weekend. Buckle up for strip clubs, ice cream socials, violent penny slot tournaments, horrific hot dogs, the death march to the Western, and more accordion than your recommended annual allowance.

Season 3 of the Neon Gutter kicks off with Burt, Matt, and Dan spending 24 straight hours at the Poker Palace with no escape. Join us as we arrive in the dead of night to play the games, meet the people, see the sights, smell the smells, microwave food, and hear the music that makes the Poker Palace the cheapest, friendliest, most fun casino in Las Vegas. 24 hours later, we'd won poker tournaments, bingo jackpots, hit royal flushes, and made many new friends. This is your last chance to visit this version of the Poker Palace, which will close at the end of September 2025.

Join the Neon Gutter crew in our grimy local second-run theater for a viewing of "Fever Pitch," a terrible, terrible 1985 movie loaded with classic Vegas action, vintage neon, a villain called "The Dutchman", a lady nicknamed "Boobsie Babs", and a cameo from one of Las Vegas's greatest legends. Visit neongutter.com for a link to the movie and play along.

Dan steps in as host to get the skinny from Matt and Burt about their whirlwind trip to Las Vegas to broker a major deal that successfully launched the Neon Gutter into the big leagues with their very first massive marketing campaign. Hear the exciting details of that power brokering and of the free and cheap deals they took advantage of, including free pools, free entertainment, and newly lowered table game limits!

Burt, Dan, and Matt proudly share the cornucopia of cheap sleeping, eating, and gambling deals popping up all over Vegas in trembling response to the Neon Gutter's powerful lobby for cheapskates. This episode details Summer 2025's dozens of meals under $10, all the $5 table games, and hotels throwing free beverages, cheap rooms and complimentary cabanas at the swelling ranks of low rollers armed with pitchforks and thin wallets. This is the NEON GUTTER SUMMER!

The Neon Gutter Crew talks about Bob Stupak's dreams, including the ones successful and unsuccessful, sane and insane. There is talk about giant gorillas, lions, a Tic-tac-toe playing chicken, a Titanic-themed hotel, runs for mayor, and the many, many ways that he reimagined games like blackjack and craps.

Matt and Burt thrill guest host Dan with the conclusion to Matt's retirement party, complete with a cake, large knives, dangerous poker, some thrilling craps, and penny video poker. There's some tasty cajun food and a reference to Star Wars.

The gang returns from their latest trip to Vegas, which Matt expected to be an elaborate celebration of his recent retirement, wholly forgetting what flakes and cheapskates his friends are, and that they really don't care about his personal life. There is drama, excitement, bus rides, plastic horse racing, magic shows, "healthy" food, cheap gaming, and fancy dressing, featuring the return of Sigma Derby Expert Ski, and a new Sigma Derby-themed song.

Up your game with the advice of the World's Greatest gambler!  Lucky Ned joins the Neon Gutter crew and shares advice on how to win, win, and win using the techniques from the unorthodox Lucky Ned Incredisystems (TM). And follow along as Ned demonstrates his winning skills, his life coach tips, and his uncanny ability to get free cocktails. Plus, if Ned owes you money (as he does most of us), listen for clues on where to find him and recoup the debt.

Burt, Matt, and Dan drag one of the world's foremost authority on Sigma Derby into the Neon Gutter. Ski shares his knowledge of the world's most fun mechanical horse racing game earned from observing and wagering on more than 50,000 races. He schools the Neon Gutter crew on history, the joy of wagering on tiny plastic horses with friends, and the effect of yelling on race outcomes.

Matt, Dan, and Burt talk about the web site that started it all, the Big Empire, and the friendships it created, the shenanigans it inspired, and the unexpected fame it gave them. They talk about the trip reports, the jokes, haikus, and why they created a web site in the first place.

The Neon Gutter completes their $39 a day adventure with slightly less walking, a huge free play score, a disagreement that sends Matt, Dan and Burt in different directions, an outrageous expenditure, a stuffed baboon, and one member's fitful night of sleep.

The Neon Gutter Crew has lived to tell the tale of their $39 a Day trip to Las Vegas, starting with Part 1, which features lonely magicians, Dracula weddings, late night treks through the desert, and a lot of bus rides.

Burt, Dan, and Matt prepare for their $39 a Day challenge, wherein they will live or die on the all-inclusive budget of $39 a day for 72 hours in Las Vegas. You'll probably think they're idiots (and be right), and yet still glean some money saving (and making) tricks.

Matt reveals to Dan and Burt how he, Stinky and Robert survived the mean streets and even meaner gutters in Las Vegas all the way to the conclusion of their $19 a Day trip. Also discussed is a near brawl, contraband, egg equivalencies, and how the trip changed the boys forever.

The Boys recall a trip done on $19 a day for all food, lodging, transportation, entertainment, gambling, and--of course--drinks. Including a stay at the famous Western Hotel, cheap hot dogs, bus rides, and near death experiences.

Surgeon General’s Warning: This episode of The Neon Gutter is a gift to you. And keeping it in the gutter, it’s cheap and may be hazardous to your ears. So, listeners be forewarned that you are entering the Stupak Community Center where the Neon Gutter Crew played “Stupak: the Game,” designed by Bob Stupak, whom you may have heard about in Episodes 1 and 2. This is freewheeling, noisy, and as exciting as listening to a bunch of guys playing a terrible board game sounds. You have been warned.

The Neon Gutter crew takes a live stroll down Fremont Street, from the headwaters of the Plaza Hotel at Main Street past Binion’s, the Golden Nugget and all the way East, past the D, the El Cortez and on to the husk of the Western. Along the way, they reminisce of what used to be and used to happen along the fabled street, and they encounter surprise guests, panhandling locals, and the noise pollution that clutters downtown Las Vegas nowadays.

Burt grills Matt, Dan, and their guest Phil on the crummiest, dirtiest, smelliest, and most fun casinos they ever wandered into or escaped from. A philosophical discussion breaks out about what makes a casino a shithole, the difference between good and bad shitholes, and why the dumps can be more fun. Stick around and learn where you can go today to have your clothes indelibly marked with stench of tobacco, bodo odor, and failure.

Burt queries Matt and Dan about all the terrible places they stayed in Vegas, including why in the world they stayed in them. Join us to hear about hookers working the front desk, broken Magic Fingers, jumping on beds, and dead pigeons by the pool.

Matt and Dan are joined by Phil and Mike for a look back to their first group trip to Las Vegas, when they were just babes in the woods, thrilled at the prospect of cheap buffets, free decks of cards, and a chance to see naked ladies.

In this episode, the Neon Gutter recounts the many ways they thanked Bob Stupak for the free money, free rooms, and free drinks with a series of practical jokes involving a lump of beef, police tape, Jell-o, and the most advanced printing technology the era offered to college kids. One of the jokes had a lasting legacy on Vegas World in its waning days.

In this episode, Burt, Dan, and Matt recall what was surely the strangest major hotel-casino in Las Vegas, the space-themed Bob Stupak’s Vegas World, its maverick owner, and how the Neon Gutter crew exploited a loophole to enrich themselves while the property fell into decay.