When the lockdown of Las Vegas casinos ended in May 2020, locals casino operator Station Casinos opened its entire portfolio minus four properties: the Palms, Fiesta Rancho, Texas Station and Fiesta Henderson. Last year, the Palms was sold to the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians and it reopened in May. But the other three remained closed, with little indication when they would reopen. Last week, Station revealed the answer—never.
A report in the Las Vegas Review Journal indicated it didn’t make financial sense to reopen any of the three properties, according to Station President Scott Kreeger.
“Even before the pandemic, they were our worst-performing properties,” Kreeger said. “Post-pandemic, at least where we are today, we don’t see that it’s viable to reopen those properties for a couple of reasons. The majority of our loyal customers migrated to our other facilities, and we captured about 90 percent of that overall play. So these properties, to some degree, became duplicative. ”
The three properties will be demolished and the land sold, undoubtedly with the stipulation that a casino not be part of the new development.
He said the customers at the side-by-side properties Fiesta Rancho and Texas Station have moved to other station properties such as Santa Fe Station and a nearby Wildfire location. Fiesta Henderson players have moved to either Sunset Station or Green Valley Ranch, both a short drive from the former property in Henderson.
Kreeger said Station is considering another new property in Henderson and is committed to the community.
“And we love the dynamic nature of that city,” he said. “Not only do we have the Inspirada site, which we’re actively working through the entitlements and development processes there, but we also are investing quite substantial amounts of money in a rejuvenation and renovation at Sunset Station and also an offering of several new restaurant and gaming amenities at Green Valley Ranch.”
Station is building a new property in the southwest valley, Durango, and Kreeger says the company is in discussions with North Las Vegas officials about building a large new facility in North Las Vegas.
“We’re working with the city of North Las Vegas on a potential development site for another large-scale casino resort,” Kreeger told the RJ. “We also are very interested in the tavern and small nonrestricted space, and we have some investment plans in regard to that in North Las Vegas as well.”
