Real Estate Jargon: “Sawdust Joints” and “Rug Joints” – Old and New Las Vegas

Buyers, sellers, investors, welcome back to another installment of Real Estate Jargon – simple explanations of real estate terms not normally found daily conversation.  As a departure from terms typically used in real estate transactions or property management, I’m responding to a question I’ve received a couple times regarding “rug joints” and “sawdust joints.”

All men know that anything they need to learn about being a man they can learn from watching “The Godfather.”  Women – if you want to understand men, watch this movie.  Mario Puzzo, the late author who wrote the book, said that the story isn’t about the Mafia, it’s about the relationship between a father and his sons.  But I digress…

In “The Godfather, Part II,” one of the Mafia chiefs talks about how their casino hotels in Cuba are bigger and swankier than their “rug joints” in Vegas.  Some believe that a rug joint is a place where you shoot someone, then roll their body in a rug to be taken into the desert to be buried.  Not true!

Here’s the real story.

“Sawdust joints” are casinos (and bars) with wood floors that are sprinkled with sawdust to 1) absorb spilled liquids, 2) protect the floor from damage by hard soled shoes, and 3) to muffle the sound made by walking on the wood floor.  In the early days of Las Vegas casinos, almost all of them were sawdust joints.

When big investors started building larger, fancier casinos to attract big-spending customers, those casinos were decorated with better furnishings and rugs on the floor.  They were known as “rug joints.”  Over time, nicer casinos came to be known as “rug joints” and not as nice casinos were known as “sawdust joints.”  Both continue to exist today.

Thanks to those who asked this question, I hope everyone found it somewhat interesting.

Tags:  Real Estate Jargon, Silicon Valley real estate, Napa Valley real estate, Fairfield real estate

John A. Souerbry & Associates    DRE 01370983              Originally published July 2010