Rio Las Vegas Opens Dragon Lair Slot Room
Published · Gamebridge News
A famous room at the Rio in Las Vegas has a new job. The off-Strip resort has opened Dragon Lair by Aristocrat Gaming, a room on its casino floor set aside for two slot families: Dragon Link and Phoenix Link. The Las Vegas Sun reported the opening on October 22, 2026.
The room sits in the space that used to be the Rio’s poker room. According to Casinos.com, it is on the casino floor between the Canteen Food Hall and the William Hill Sportsbook. Poker fans will remember the Rio as the home of the World Series of Poker from 2005 to 2021. Casinos.com says the poker room closed around 2021, and the space was later used for extra sportsbook seating, promo displays and, most recently, video poker machines.
What is inside? Both game families grew out of Aristocrat’s Lightning Link. The Sun explains that Dragon Link uses an Orb symbol to trigger its Hold & Spin feature across all its titles. Phoenix Link adds scaling Grand and Major jackpots, plus Free Games that can award Wild Multipliers or Twin Spins. The machines are multidenomination, so players can pick their bet level. Casinos.com lists Dragon Link titles such as Autumn Moon, Panda Magic and Golden Century in the room.
Rio president and general manager Rod Turlan said in the release that Dragon Lair brings together compelling game content and an exciting environment, and that the partnership with Aristocrat gives guests more reasons to discover the new Rio. Aristocrat’s Kurt Gissane, chief commercial officer for the Americas, said the room was designed specifically for Aristocrat’s loyal players.
Casinos.com notes this is part of a wider trend of casinos building branded rooms around popular slot series. It points to the Link Up Lounge at Palms, a Huff N’ Puff wall at the Plaza and the Wolf Den at the Downtown Grand.
Our take: casinos keep giving Dragon Link and Phoenix Link their own rooms because players keep looking for them. Hold & Spin bonus games are just as popular on online fish and sweepstakes systems, where players like a bonus round that is easy to follow and fun to watch. If you run a game page and want a backend your players already know, we can help.