Klondike Sunset Casino

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Klondike Sunset Casino
Klondike Sunset.JPG
Klondike Sunset Casino in 2010
Location Henderson, Nevada
Address 444 West Sunset Road
Opening date October 1, 1999
Closing date August 15, 2014
Theme Alaskan wilderness
Total gaming space 7,700 sq ft (720 m2)
Casino type Land-based
Previous names Tom's Sunset Casino (1989–1998)
Renovated in 1998–1999
Coordinates Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

Klondike Sunset Casino is a closed locals casino located on 2.2 acres (0.89 ha) of land at 444 West Sunset Road, west of Boulder Highway, in Henderson, Nevada.[1]

It was initially owned by Tom Yarbrough, who opened it as Tom's Sunset Casino in 1989. The casino closed in 1998, due to financial losses and new competition. John Woodrum purchased the casino and reopened it as the Klondike Sunset Casino in 1999, after a $5 million renovation. The casino was a sister property to Woodrum's Klondike Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip in nearby Paradise, Nevada. After Woodrum's death in 2014, the casino was closed and sold to Carl Giudici, whose plans to renovate and re-open the casino failed to materialize.

History

Tom's Sunset Casino

The casino was built and opened as Tom's Sunset Casino in 1989,[1][2] and was owned by Tom Yarbrough.[2] The casino featured a southwestern theme,[3] and included 219 video poker machines, as well as a small restaurant known for its $1.99 breakfast specials.[2] In 1997, the casino offered proposition betting,[4] and was among nine other Las Vegas casinos to offer SportXction, a new interactive betting system.[5][6]

The casino closed on January 12, 1998, partially because of competition from the new, nearby Sunset Station.[2] For 18 months prior to its closure, monthly profits had declined from $650,000 to $275,000, with a 35 percent decrease in customer attendance.[2] Sports book losses were another reason for the closure,[7] as Yarbrough owed more than $150,000 in sports wagers at the casino and three other sports books that he owned, but lacked the funds to pay off the debts.[2]

Following the closure, 92 employees were laid off.[2] Industry observers felt that the closed casino would need to expand and add amenities such as a pool and hotel in order to compete.[7] Later that year, John Woodrum purchased the property for $1.4 million[1] in a foreclosure auction and invested $5 million to renovate the building.[3]

Klondike Sunset Casino

On October 1, 1999, the casino reopened as the Klondike Sunset Casino.[3] It was Woodrum's second casino property, and a sister property to his Klondike Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip in nearby Paradise, Nevada.[3] Woodrum's Klondike property on the Las Vegas Strip attracted a clientele consisting mostly of senior citizens and Henderson residents who preferred smaller casinos. Woodrum hoped to attract Henderson residents to his new property with coupons for free food and drinks.[3]

At the time of its opening, the Klondike Sunset Casino consisted of a 15,000 sq ft (1,400 m2) building and featured an Alaskan wilderness theme.[3] The casino, approximately 7,700 sq ft (720 m2),[8] included 360 video poker and slot machines, as well as three blackjack tables and a roulette table. The casino offered $2 minimum blackjack and 25-cent roulette, both considered rare at that time.[3]

At approximately 4:00 a.m. on December 30, 1999, two masked gunmen robbed the casino's change cage and then fled with an undisclosed amount of money. Approximately 30 people were present, many of whom were not aware that it was a robbery until police arrived.[9] Another robbery occurred at approximately 1:45 a.m. on March 21, 2002, when two men armed with handguns and assault rifles took approximately $7,700 from a cashier. A third man was waiting outside the casino in a vehicle. After a short chase, one of the three suspects was apprehended.[10][11] In February 2004, the casino planned to add a staffed Leroy's sports book.[12] In April 2004, Leroy's was approved to place betting kiosk terminals at the casino.[13] The sports book began operating in June 2004.[14]

The casino was known for its cheap restaurant specials,[15] and appealed to customers who preferred smaller casinos.[16] John Woodrum's son, Michael Woodrum, primarily operated the business.[15][17] As of 2006, Michael Woodrum was also an owner of the casino;[16][18] John Woodum also continued to retain ownership.[15][19][20] That year, Michael Woodrum speculated that the casino's future was financially secure: "The area out here is growing fast and because of ordinances, you're not going to see any more little casinos opening up out here. I think the future's bright."[16] Many employees from the Klondike Hotel and Casino, closed in June 2006, were expected to be transferred to the Klondike Sunset Casino.[18][21][22]

By July 2008, the casino was struggling financially due to an economic downturn. The Las Vegas Sun reported that the casino would "be lucky" if it could produce a profit of $5 million that year; it had previously generated $7.5 million two years earlier. The Woodrum family, which spent $1 million to keep the business operational, acknowledged that the casino would probably no longer be around in another decade, as they planned to eventually sell the property when it became valuable enough. At that time, the casino had 300 slot machines and eight table games.[15] In February 2012, the casino was among seven other business cited for a first-time offense of making alcohol sales to minors.[23]

In June 2012, Its Gotta Go LLC filed a lawsuit against Klondike Sunset LLC, claiming the casino's owners breached an agreement from a month earlier to sell the property. Its Gotta Go had agreed to pay $3.56 million for the casino. According to the lawsuit, Its Gotta Go put $100,000 into escrow but faced problems as it was not yet licensed as a casino operator. Its Gotta Go accused the casino's owners of refusing to either agree to a lease agreement to continue operating the casino with its nonrestricted gaming license, or to extend the time for Its Gotta Go to obtain a gaming license.[24]

In February 2013, the casino was found to be in violation of state regulations, as its minimum bankroll was $25,706 short, which could have prevented it from paying off potential customer winnings.[25][26] As a result, the casino's table games were removed and its number of slot machines was decreased from 300 to 65.[1][27] The casino's sports book was subsequently closed in June 2013.[14]

John Woodrum died in January 2014.[17][20] In March 2014, the Nevada Gaming Control Board filed an eight-count complaint against the casino, which was cited for continued violations of failing to maintain a minimum bankroll.[25] Ellen Woodrum – John Woodrum's wife and the current casino owner – reached a tentative agreement that month with the Gaming Control Board to file weekly bankroll reports with the state for a year.[25][26] A stipulation between Woodum and the Gaming Control Board was approved the following month.[1]

The casino, still financially struggling, was closed on August 15, 2014, during a pending sale to Carl Giudici's CG Enterprises.[1] Giudici had previously owned many other casinos. The sale was finalized in September 2014. That month, Giudici received approval from the Henderson City Council for the casino to retain its zoning for a nonrestricted gaming business license and for a nonrestricted gaming liquor license for up to a year during its closure, allowing it to remain closed during that period for renovations.[1] Giudici had planned to reopen the casino as The Mint.[27] Giudici's first casino – opened in Sparks, Nevada, in 1984 – was also named The Mint Casino.[28]

In June 2015, Giudici said renovations had been delayed because of recent health problems, which limited his free time.[27] As a result, much of Giudici's time was spent primarily on selling his Club Fortune casino, although he hoped to use the profits from the sale to finish renovations on The Mint. Giudici expected to have the casino reopened on April 2, 2016.[27] Because of unforeseen circumstances, CG Enterprises was unable to proceed with its renovation plans,[29] and sold the casino in November 2015.[30] In March 2016, a $542,000 renovation was being planned.[31]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 27.2 27.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  28. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  29. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  30. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  31. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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