For Las Vegas locals who want a quiet, quaint, and homey atmosphere with their gambling, the Strip is out of the question. Even downtown has been getting increasingly louder with more a party-like energy. This is why Dotty’s Gaming & Spirits has experienced the success they have.
Dotty’s, primarily located in strip malls all throughout Las Vegas, have 200 locations throughout Nevada, Oregon, Montana and Illinois. Under a casino-tavern license, a property must offer food and alcohol, while gambling profits are supposed to be incidental. However, Dotty’s receives the majority of their revenue through gaming, while offering only token snacks and drinks.
Sean Higgins, co-owner of the bar-tavern Three Angry Wives is not shy when it comes to his opinion of Dotty’s, and its practices. “Do people like to gamble there? Yes. Is Dotty’s following the law? Absolutely not.”
The regulations for tavern-casinos have become stricter in the previous few years, which now require them to have a kitchen open 12 hours a day, in addition to a bar with eight countertop gambling machines. Nearly all Dotty’s feature a snack bar as opposed to a full-fledged kitchen.
County officials claim Dotty’s has pledged to comply with the new regulations, but has yet to do anything about it. Clark County Commission Chairman Steve Sisolak said, “You can’t just open up a space, serve drinks and food from some skeleton operation and make a killing on your slot machines.”
Owner Craig Estey claims the chain has been working hard to comply. “I’ve been the elephant in the room. Legislation has been political, aimed at me,” he said.
Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani agrees with Estey, and said, “It’s the ugly side of Nevada gaming politics. If you are an entrepreneur who becomes too successful, you will be perceived as a threat. And powerful interests will find a way to regulate you out of business.”
The customers, who are primarily middle-aged women, love the unique atmosphere, which is aimed at just their demographic. Instead of NFL football on the TVs, Estey would play The Ellen DeGeneres Show, instead. “I wanted a clean, safe place to gather around a pot-bellied stove,” he said. “Like ‘Green Acres.’”
“If little old ladies want someplace other than a sports bar with its smoke and men, that’s fine,” said Nevada Senator Tick Segerblom. “But this business model is causing us to lose the ability to earn revenues to help pay for gambling’s negative societal impacts. We can’t allow Dotty’s to get away scot-free and make gazillions of dollars.”
