California’s San Manuel Band of Mission Indians will be the first tribe to operate a Las Vegas resort by the end of December. The tribe received regulatory approval last week and the $650 million acquisition of the Palms from Red Rock Resorts became official.
The Palms has been closed since the pandemic shutdowns of March 2020. It has 700 hotel rooms, convention space, a 2,500 seat theater, pool and spa.
In preparation for the switchover, the San Manuel tribe has named former MGM Resorts International executive Cynthia Kiser Murphey as the property’s new general manager.
The tribe told Las Vegas Review-Journal that it plans not to reopen the nightclub, saying that it doesn’t fit their target customers, “gamblers.”
Its main job will be coming up with incentives to attract customers of its Southern California property to try out its newest resort.
Andrew Klebanow, principal at C3 Gaming, told the Review-Journal, “Unlike other recent first-time entrants into the Las Vegas casino market, the San Manuel Tribe brings with it a sizable database of gaming customers from the greater Southern California region.”
He added, “This will allow their marketing team to immediately generate visitation from qualified gaming customers, with mid-tier players receiving midweek vacation offers and high-worth players getting weekend gaming packages.”
Josh Swissman, founder of the Strategy Organization, said he expects the tribe to attract customers with a direct marketing campaign.
“It’s their first foray out of Southern California, so they have to do this well,” he said. He added they will also have to do a good job of attracting the local Las Vegas customer.
Kiser Murphey has a reputation as one of the most experienced gaming executives in the U.S. and one with an extensive knowledge of the Las Vegas market.
