Nooooo! The Horror! Western changes hands.

I can only hope and pray that they do not change any of the wonderful Western Hotel and Casino's unique ambiance and decor.

Four downtown casinos to be sold
Start-up company to buy four properties from Gaughan
By JAN MOLLER
REVIEW-JOURNAL

The Plaza is among the four downtown gaming properties that will change hands in a deal scheduled to be announced today.
Longtime Las Vegas casino owner Jackie Gaughan has agreed to sell four of his downtown gaming properties for $82 million to a start-up company, sources familiar with the deal said Sunday.
In an agreement scheduled to be announced this morning, Barrick Gaming plans to buy the Gold Spike, Western Hotel, Las Vegas Club and the Plaza pending approval by Nevada gaming regulators.
Gaughan, 82, who has operated casinos downtown for more than half a century, will retain ownership of the El Cortez, the sources said.
The sale will put Barrick Gaming in control of 1,830 hotel rooms and about 1,900 employees in the four casinos and bring fresh blood into a downtown market where growth has been stagnant for several years.
Gaughan did not return calls for comment Sunday. Efforts to reach his son, Coast Casinos Chairman Michael Gaughan, and Barrick Gaming principals were also unsuccessful.
Employees at the four properties were notified of the pending sale in a memo distributed Sunday.
With the acquisition, Barrick Gaming instantly becomes a major player in a downtown market of 22 casinos dominated by Boyd Gaming and MGM Mirage.
Little information is available about Barrick Gaming. Incorporation records on file with the secretary of state's office showed the company was incorporated in Nevada on Feb. 25, 2002. Its president is Stephen A. Crystal, and its secretary is David W. Barrick.
A published report describes the company as a start-up firm but provides no additional details.
The Gaming Control Board's investigation into the buyers' backgrounds and their sources of funding is expected to take several months.
Control board member Scott Scherer could not provide details of the transaction but said new ownership would help downtown.
"Downtown obviously needs an infusion of capital, and if this is a buyer that's prepared to bring in some new capital and do some refurbishment, I think that would be a positive for downtown," Scherer said.
It's not clear what changes, if any, the new owners plan for the properties.
Revenues at downtown casinos have been stagnant in recent years as Strip resorts have taken an increasing share of the tourist market. At the same time, companies such as Coast Casinos and Station Casinos have usurped the local gaming dollars that once flowed downtown.
Downtown's share of statewide casino revenue dropped to 7.2 percent in 2001 from 13.9 percent in 1988. Gamblers lost a combined $683.3 million there last year compared with $4.7 billion on the Strip.
"Downtown is not dying, but it's been pretty much holding steady in terms of revenue," Scherer said. "Someone who could take it forward would be a positive."
Gaughan has been trying for years to sell some of his downtown holdings. In 1999, the asking price for the Plaza was $55 million, and the Las Vegas Club was on the block for $45 million.
D. Taylor, secretary-treasurer of Culinary Local 226, said a successor clause guarantees that the union's contract with the hotels will remain in force under new ownership. Taylor said he hopes the new owners will boost investment in downtown.
"Jackie Gaughan is a legend, and I think you can't replace Jackie Gaughan for what he's done for this community," Taylor said. "But a new company is coming in and looking at investing and putting the kind of money we think needs to be done. We think that's good."
In the memo to employees, Gaughan wrote that Barrick wishes to retain the current work force.
"Barrick Gaming appears to be a very progressive company with a very optimistic view of downtown Las Vegas," Gaughan wrote.
A Nebraska native, Gaughan moved his family to Las Vegas in 1951 and quickly acquired a minority interest in the Boulder Club on Fremont Street, where the Horseshoe now stands, and later bought an interest in the Flamingo.
In 1961, he bought the Las Vegas Club with Mel Exber and Larry Hazelwood, according to a biography on the Jackiegaughan.com Web site. Two years later, he bought the El Cortez. He bought the Western Hotel in 1965, then built the Union Plaza in 1971 and bought the Gold Spike in 1983.

El Cortez

"I can only hope and pray that they do not change any of the wonderful Western Hotel and Casino's unique ambiance and decor"

I recently made an appearance at the Western, my first in a looooong time.

I usually don't have many nice things to say about casinos or their managers, but the Western really surprised me.

A former El Cortez shift manager is now the Casino Manager at the Western. He has really cleaned it up.

While it's still filled mainly with $2.00 players who all seem "down on their luck," they've removed most of the worst derelict element. I got from my car into the casino and back without being accosted by panhandlers or drug dealers, an improvement from before. The guards are enforcing the "no loitering" rule.

The casino is much cleaner now, the layouts are reasonably fresh, and the "suits" actually wear suits, instead of T-shirts and jeans.

All the games are excellent SD, dealt deeply and DOA. Most of the dealers speak very little English, which is good -- no toke hustling or stupid comments.

Though I was the only one in the place playing green (one green chip would be the entire "bankroll" for most of their clientele), there wasn't a PC camped out at my heads-up table, surprisingly.

I played 45 minutes, took a decent win, and left without any problems.

While it's certainly not the Bellagio, it's worth a look if you haven't been there lately, and your max bet is under $200.00.

I'm sorry about the upcoming sale. Afraid that we may lose most of the few remaining playable (at least for low stakes) single decks in Las Vegas, between the Las Vegas Club and the Western.

The Plaza is no loss, it can't get any worse than it is. Gold Spike is no loss, either, with poor pen, only $50.00 max bet, and overrun with $2.00 ploppies.

"While it's certainly not the Bellagio, it's worth a look if you haven't been there lately, and your max bet is under $200.00. "

You mean it's not the Bellagio? I thought that was the nickname for the Western, "The Bellagio". Wait till I get my hands on that travel agent.

...and he was getting a kick back for taking people there instead of "The B", since so many people often confuse the two!
@^D
-Might explain why the "upscale shopping" you expected to find on the property just turned out to be a guy in a raincoat, peddling fake rolexes!
@^D
Seriously, I'll kinda miss the old "scuzzier" Western. A little "scuziness" to remind us of what Vegas once was, instead of this homogenized, sanitized corporate place it has largely now become.
Take care,
@^)
Cyclops

Last april my best friend and my cousin decided to visit the western just for the experience. We parked accross the street and we were met by a gentlemen who advised he was the parking lot security and official vehicle wash and wax man. We flipped him two bucks to watch the car with a promise of a tip if the vehicle still had its tires on when we came back.
As we entered the casino through the open garage door we were met by the security guy sitting on the highchair in front of the dollar blackjack table. I looked up at him and said Howdy. He tipped his hat to us. I then asked him "Any problems in here old timer" he responded by saying "nope not on my shift" and patted his six shooter strapped to his right thigh. We sat down at the old table in front and bought in for $20 bucks each. The dealer was a young pimple faced kid who dealt very slowly. Another dealer stood next to him and quietly coached him.
A mexican fellow sat next to me and told me how he just won a $60 dollar jack pot at a quarter slot machine and that he was buying drinks for everyone. I said "thanks but I think they are free for players." He responded by saying "oye chico eet ees the thought that counts".

The game started and everyone bet the minimum. I bet five times the minimum. The mexican leened over and said "Hombre that ees half your money calm down so chu can play longer." I smiled and winked at the waiting dealer. The game started and I got a snapper. The mexican got a sixteen and doubled. He was hit with a five and he cheered. "Tequila for every one!"

The "beautiful" waitress came over and took our orders and soon returned with my cup of coffe. The cup had red lipstick on it. The mexican leaned over and whispered " I tink chee likes you hombre she kissed your glass".

After a half hour of play I was up fifty dollars and the mexican was drunk and fast dropping his $60 slot jack pot to the Western. In time he was bottomed out. He stood up and said "eets not how chu play eets how chu lose like a man Hombre...Ya me voy....Elena ees waiting for me." I bid him adios.

Soon it was my time to leave. I cashed in my meeger win and went to find my cohorts who were at another table. As we walked towards the back to see the rest of the casino I saw a pair of feet sticking out of the front of a table top slot machine. A homeless guy was laying there. I told a passing employee, who with two other employees picked up the gentleman and walked him to the back exit door.

As we left we walk past the security OFFICER. He tipped his hat and said "Come back soon fellows". We met our personal parking lot security guy and found that our rental car was intact with the windows mirrors and headlights rubbed clean. We gave him a five. As we drove away we saw him walking into the Western.

Would I go back? Yeah just for the atmosphere of a old western casino of old las vegas. I hope the new owners put air conditioning in there.

if there were a stories archive on red chip, this would be a great addition.

I love the Western. God speed the new owners and I hope they restock with green chips.

I only had the courage to visit during the day.

i much enjoyed the mexican character, again, was he real?

I posted some time ago about how much better the Las Vegas Club seemed to me, better music, atmosphere...etc. My traveling partner said he really liked playing slots at the Plaza. You mentioned that even the Western had cleaned up their act. Jackie must have been putting on a show for the new suckers, ahem, buyers of these properties.

Three things could happen, could get better, could get worse, could stay the same.

Hip Hop

"I only had the courage to visit during the day."
Um, where I come from, they call that "smarts"!
@^D
I am a pretty big (and admittedly imposing looking) guy, but am not comfortable patronizing the Western alone at night. Some might call me too cautious, but no matter how big you are, a gun or knife (presented for your viewing pleasure while you're outside the casino) makes everyone virtually the same size.
@^!
Take care,
@^)
Cyclops

....It could be grossly mismanaged and the place could close, though considering the level of "management" in the past, its hard to imagine that someone could actually run the place that poorly, but it happens.
Case in point: The Horseshoe.
(Yeah, I know they haven't closed......yet.)
Cyclops

This was on today's news wire:

****

Barrick Gaming also plans to buy two downtown Ambassador East motels and has an option to purchase Gaughan's El Cortez hotel-casino.

Flaherty said Barrick holds an option to buy the El Cortez, a property that wasn't included in the sale for a simple reason.

"Mr. Gaughan wanted to stay involved in one property, and, quite frankly, he lives there," Flaherty said. "Whenever he decides he's ready to sell, we'll buy."

****

Where are the crack heads going to go without the Ambassador East to hole up in? Next thing you know they are going to re-model the Blue Angel Motel.

Everything as it happened. The mexican gentleman was real. The name of his wife was made up because I could not rember her name. Also he spoke mainly spanish except when he ordered the drinks. I am bilingual. The guard is tsill there as far as I know. It was like a western bar scene when we walked in. I have been there at night but I had insurance with me. This occurred during the late part of the day. Dont go there alone! LTC