With just one tavern, it’s unclear what kind of effect Red Rock Resorts will have on a market dominated by Golden Entertainment. Red Rock, which is planning to have seven taverns by January 2026, is also focused on expanding its casino footprint (hello Inspirada).

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State gaming regulators last week preliminarily approved Red Rock Resorts' plan to open two taverns in North Las Vegas, the first of seven locations the company is planning to eventually operate in the Las Vegas Valley.

Senior Vice President of Operations Christopher Fiumara told the Gaming Control Board the first tavern would open by the end of September with the second operating by January. All seven taverns could be in place by January 2026.

That slow rollout could be one reason why executives from Golden Entertainment, the state’s leading tavern operator, ignored Red Rock during its second-quarter earnings conference call a day later.

Golden CEO Blake Sartini is the brother-in-law of Red Rock's top executives, CEO Frank Fertitta III and Vice Chairman Lorenzo Fertitta. The companies have long kept their businesses separate.

But the May announcement that Red Rock — which operates seven casino resorts in Las Vegas — was stepping into a business long controlled by Golden foreshadowed a family feud.

It now appears to be a family truce.

“The company believes that this new tavern brand and division are a natural progression of its business model of serving the local population,” Red Rock attorney Marc Rubinstein told the control board. 

Red Rock is naming its tavern business Seventy Six by Station Casinos — a homage to the year the company was founded. The first to open will be on the corner of Centennial Parkway and North Lamb Boulevard, with the second on Aliante Parkway.

In Nevada, a tavern is a combined bar and restaurant along with gaming, which is classified by the control board as a restricted location with a maximum of 15 bartop slot machines. 

But it can also be an unpredictable business.

“The first part of the summer is always tough for the local business in general,” Sartini said of seasonality in operating taverns. “Football is a big [revenue] driver to our taverns.”

In the second quarter, Golden’s 71 taverns saw revenue growth of 3 percent to $28.1 million, primarily because the company purchased six additional taverns in the past year. Golden’s eight casinos, including the STRAT Hotel Casino & Tower and its two Arizona Charlie’s properties, accounted for 88 percent of the company's quarterly revenue, nearly $148 million.

Golden President Charles Protell noted the taverns saw a 10 percent decline in food and beverage revenue in the quarter, which he attributed to the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights’ May playoff exit. A year ago, the Knights won the Stanley Cup, playing games well into June.

Red Rock’s casino resorts have more than 3,000 hotel rooms, 15,300 slot machines and 317 table games. The company reported net revenue of $483.2 million in the second quarter, an increase of 17 percent. 

In addition to establishing the tavern division, Red Rock has announced plans to expand the nearly 9-month-old Durango Casino Resort and is looking to build a similar-sized property in the Inspirada community in Henderson. 

Mohegan Gaming says Q2 revenue in Las Vegas declined 8 percent

Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment is winding down its final months operating the casino inside Virgin Hotel Las Vegas.

A nearly 8 percent decline in revenue for the second quarter mirrored its timeline to exit the property.

Mohegan Las Vegas contributed just less than $6.3 million of the total $504.2 million net revenue for the second quarter — still a more than 21 percent increase from a year ago — for the business arm of Connecticut’s Mohegan Indian Tribe.

“As I look across our enterprise, I feel confident about how our strategy is taking shape and I’m excited about our near and long-term prospects,” said Mohegan CEO Ray Pineault in a statement that accompanied the earnings release and did not mention Las Vegas.

Virgin Hotels President Cliff Atkinson said in May that hotel leadership would take over as operator of the 60,000-square-foot casino. The property’s sportsbook is operated by BetFred Sports. 

Resort officials declined to comment on Mohegan’s second-quarter results.

In April, Mohegan Las Vegas General Manager Joe Hasson was promoted to interim chief operating officer for Mohegan Gaming, overseeing the tribe’s eight casinos in the U.S., Canada and South Korea. Last week, he was handed the position permanently.

Mohegan became the first tribal gaming entity to operate a casino in Las Vegas when it partnered with JC Hospitality during an 18-month, $200 million remodel of the 1,500-room Virgin Hotels, the former Hard Rock Las Vegas.

Other tribes have since entered Las Vegas. In 2022, the gaming arm of Southern California’s San Manuel Indian Tribe bought the Palms Casino Resort for $650 million. Hard Rock Entertainment, which is owned by Florida’s Seminole Indian Tribe, acquired The Mirage for $1.1 billion and is being transformed into Hard Rock Las Vegas.

Sparks Nugget operator says quarterly performance was a ‘disappointment’ 

Century Casinos officials said renovations to the gaming floor of the Nugget Casino and Resort in Sparks led to a 23 percent revenue dip during the second quarter.

Century said it recently added 120 new slot machines and a high-limit room to the casino, repainted the building’s exterior and improved indoor and outdoor signage. 

The 1,382-room Nugget became Century’s flagship property when it was acquired last year by the Colorado Springs-based casino operator in a $195 million deal. 

“The hold on slots and tables was significantly lower compared to last year, but that would only explain a small portion of that decline,” Century co-CEO Peter Hoetzinger said on a conference call last week. “The market was the disappointment of the quarter. There's no way around it.”

Co-CEO Erwin Haitzmann added that Century is learning about Northern Nevada’s “highly competitive market,” which includes “very experienced operators.” Northern Nevada casinos have faced renewed competition from California’s tribal casino community, which saw the opening of three new gaming properties in the Sacramento area in the last two years.

In addition to Sparks, Century operates casinos in Colorado, Missouri, West Virginia, Maryland and Canada. Companywide, operating revenue was $146.4 million in the quarter that ended June 30. The Nugget accounted for $20.8 million of the total.

What I'm reading

🎲 Tribal representatives laud experience of Harris-Walz with Indian gaming issues — Matthew Kredell, PlayUSA

Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz each have experience working with tribes in California and Minnesota.

🎰 Nassau County lawmakers approve lease for Las Vegas Sands casino — Eyewitness News, ABC7

There are still obstacles to clear including a gaming license from New York 

🏀 'That's the goal': Mark Cuban reaffirms Mavs' commitment to stay in Dallas —  Holden Wilen, Dallas Business Journal

Cuban shot down rumors the Mavericks might move to Las Vegas due to the Adelson family’s ownership and the NBA's interest in expanding to the market. “We're not going anywhere.”

News, notes and quotes

Rio Las Vegas lays off an undisclosed number of employees

The off-Strip Rio Las Vegas, which is in the midst of a $350 million, 18-month renovation project, laid off an undisclosed number of employees last week. In a statement, Rio owner Dreamscape Cos. said the Rio’s workforce grew after it took over operations from Caesars Entertainment at the end of last year. “We now have a better understanding of the staffing levels Rio needs to provide guest service and operational efficiency,” the company wrote in a statement. 

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AGS shareholders approve a $1.1 billion private equity sale

Shareholders in Las Vegas-based slot machine developer PlayAGS voted to approve the company’s $1.1 billion acquisition by Brightstar Capital Partners. More than 87 percent of the votes favored the buyout. The transaction is expected to be completed in the second half of 2025 and AGS will become a privately held company. AGS shareholders will receive $12.50 per share in cash, which was 40 percent above the closing price May 8, the day before the sale was announced.

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LVCVA tops off the $600 million renovation of its Central Hall

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority saw the final piece of steel loaded Tuesday onto the Central Hall for the facility’s $600 million renovation that began in 2023. When completed, the Central Hall will have a design similar to the $1 billion West Hall, which opened in 2021. An expansion and renovation of the South Hall was completed in January. Renovation of the Central and North halls will continue through 2025. 

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IGT to provide sports betting system for Reno-based Monarch Casinos

International Game Technology (IGT) will provide the sports betting technology for Atlantis Casino & Resort in Reno and Monarch Casino & Resort in Black Hawk, Colorado. Reno-based Monarch Casinos operates the two properties. The IGT platform will operate retail sportsbooks and mobile sports betting and replace the current operating system.