The C.O.D. Casino, under development for seven long years, could open this month, according to the Reno Gazette-Journal. The casino will have up to 300 slot machines as well as “a small museum honoring the site’s history as a garage and auto dealership.”
“It’s a new opportunity. We just believe that over the long haul, the site can support it,” said owner Scott Tate, president of W.C.W. Corp., which operates small gaming sites in Fernley, Fallon, Silver Springs and Carson City. “We’re very committed to maintaining the character of the building as we help revitalize the downtown.
Minden is in the Carson Valley, 45 miles south of Reno. The 14,300-square-foot casino first opened in 1912 as a garage by original owner Clarence Oliver Dangberg, hence the name.
The C.O.D. Casino will operate “in an era of economic uncertainty” for the Carson City-Carson Valley corridor, reported the Gazette-Journal. For the fiscal year that ended June 30, revenues in the region fell 1 percent from 2013. And revenues have fallen every calendar year to date since 2006 and are still below 2003 levels.
On the bright side, said Ken Adams, a Reno gaming analyst, Tate is a smart operator. “Scott knows what he’s doing,” Adams said. “He’s very careful. He understands the business and has a good business model. He’s been patient. He’ll do OK.”
The property will provide 40 to 50 jobs.
