Klondike Sunset Casino

Klondike Sunset Casino

Klondike Sunset Casino in 2010
Location Henderson, Nevada
Address 444 West Sunset Road
Opening date August 2, 1989
Total gaming space 7,700 sq ft (720 m2)
Casino type Land-based
Owner Bruce Familian and Jon Athey
Previous names Tom's Sunset Casino (1989–1998)
Renovated in 1993
1998–1999
2016
Coordinates 36°03′50″N 115°00′54″W / 36.063995°N 115.015015°W / 36.063995; -115.015015Coordinates: 36°03′50″N 115°00′54″W / 36.063995°N 115.015015°W / 36.063995; -115.015015
Website www.klondikesunset.com

Klondike Sunset Casino is a 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 on August 2, 1989. The casino closed in January 1998, due to financial losses and new competition. John Woodrum purchased the casino and reopened it as the Klondike Sunset Casino in October 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 reopen the casino failed to materialize. Bruce Familian and Jon Athey purchased the casino in December 2015, and reopened it on August 3, 2016, after an eight-month renovation.

History

Tom's Sunset Casino (1989-1999)

In July 1988, Southwest Equities was approved for a limited gaming license for Tom's Sunset Casino, with 243 slot machines and five table games. Shortly thereafter, ownership was transferred to Yarlow, Inc., owned by Thomas Yarbrough, who had to apply for a new gaming license to operate the casino. By that point, new ordinances had been passed which would require the construction of a 200-room hotel to meet approval for a limited gaming license. In July 1989, a city attorney recommended that Yarbrough be approved for a limited gaming license despite the new ordinances, as the property had already been approved prior to the changes. However, the casino would have to add 120 hotel rooms if it were to expand, according to the ordinances.[2]

Tom's Sunset Casino opened on August 2, 1989, and included a restaurant.[3][4][5] The casino featured the Sunset Slot Seekers club, and was the only Henderson casino to offer a club to regular customers. An official grand opening was scheduled for October 7, 1989.[6] In January 1990, the casino introduced its free "Fun Bus" service.[7] In July 1990, Yarbrough was approved for a 2,993 sq ft (278.1 m2) addition to the casino, which would include the removal of existing buildings already on the property. Possible amenities that would be added in the expansion included a video game arcade, a gift shop, a snack bar, and a sports book.[8]

The renovation, costing more than $1 million, began in May 1993, with the demolition of an east-facing wall. The expansion was to add 3,000 sq ft (280 m2), including a three-story façade, with the third floor being non-functional. Other plans included a 38-foot lighted exterior sign, two new entrances, 100 new slot machines, and a new southwestern theme. A grand reopening was scheduled for August 2, 1993, the casino's four-year anniversary.[3] Other expansions included a horseshoe-shaped bar and a larger lounge.[9] In 1997, the casino offered proposition betting,[10] and was among nine other Las Vegas casinos to offer SportXction, a new interactive betting system.[11][12]

The casino closed on January 12, 1998, partially because of competition from the new, nearby Sunset Station.[13] 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.[13] Sports book losses were another reason for the closure,[14] 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.[13]

Following the closure, 92 employees were laid off.[13] The casino had featured 219 video poker machines at the time, while its small restaurant had become known for its $1.99 breakfast specials.[13] Industry observers felt that the closed casino would need to expand and add amenities such as a pool and hotel in order to compete.[14]

Klondike Sunset Casino (1999-present)

In September 1998, John Woodrum, a longtime friend of Yarbrough,[15] purchased the property for $1.4 million in a foreclosure auction.[1][16] That month, Woodrum announced that the casino would be reopened as the Klondike Sunset Casino, which was expected to employ approximately 150 people upon opening. Woodrum hoped to have the casino opened as early as December 31, 1998, although the opening date was contingent on when the casino would receive approval for gambling and liquor licenses.[15] Woodrum's intended New Year's Eve opening was delayed as he awaited approval of a state gaming license.[17] Woodrum invested $5 million to renovate the building,[16] which included an expansion of the casino's bar.[15]

The Klondike Sunset Casino opened on October 1, 1999.[16] 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.[16] Woodrum chose not to add a hotel to the property, opting instead to focus on the locals market.[15] 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.[16]

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.[16] The casino, approximately 7,700 sq ft (720 m2),[18] 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.[16]

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.[19] 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.[20][21][22] In February 2004, the casino planned to add a staffed Leroy's sports book.[23] In April 2004, Leroy's was approved to place betting kiosk terminals at the casino.[24] The sports book began operating in June 2004.[25]

The casino was known for its cheap restaurant specials,[26] and appealed to customers who preferred smaller casinos.[27] John Woodrum's son, Michael Woodrum, primarily operated the business.[26][28] During the 2000s, Michael Woodrum was also a principal owner of the casino,[29][27][30] although John Woodrum continued to retain ownership as well.[26][31][32] In 2006, 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."[27] Many employees from the Klondike Hotel and Casino, closed in June 2006, were expected to be transferred to the Klondike Sunset Casino.[30][33][34]

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.[26] In February 2012, the casino was among seven other business cited for a first-time offense of making alcohol sales to minors.[35]

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.[36]

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.[37][38] As a result, the casino's table games were removed and its number of slot machines was decreased from 300 to 65.[1][39] The casino's sports book was subsequently closed in June 2013.[25]

John Woodrum died in January 2014.[28][32] 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.[37] 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.[37][38] A stipulation between Woodrum 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.[39] Giudici's first casino – opened in Sparks, Nevada, in 1984 – was also named The Mint Casino.[40]

In June 2015, Giudici said renovations had been delayed because of recent health problems, which limited his free time.[39] 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.[39] Because of unforeseen circumstances, CG Enterprises was unable to proceed with its renovation plans,[41] and sold the casino to Bruce Familian and Jon Athey in December 2015.[42] In March 2016, a $542,000 renovation was being planned.[43]

After an extensive and lengthy renovation, the Klondike Sunset Casino reopened on the night of August 3, 2016,[42][44][45] with a special VIP opening held at 6:00 p.m., followed by an opening to the general public at 9:00 p.m. The casino employed approximately 70 people at that time, and exclusively featured slot machines, with no table games.[42] The Klondike Sunset Casino was the first new casino to open in the Las Vegas Valley since the SLS Las Vegas in August 2014.[46] The casino opened with 225 slot machines,[47] and an expanded 24-hour restaurant known as Sarah's Kitchen, named after Familian's wife.[46][47] As of November 2016, a small sports book is expected to be added to the casino.[46][47]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Knightly, Arnold M. (September 16, 2014). "Klondike Sunset gets new owner". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved April 29, 2014.
  2. ↑ Corbalan, Georgina (July 20, 1989). "Casino may be grandfathered". Henderson Home News. pp. 8–9. Retrieved October 18, 2016.
  3. 1 2 Rusiecki, Elizabeth (May 4, 1993). "Tom's Sunset expands as anniversary nears". Henderson Home News. Retrieved October 18, 2016.
  4. ↑ "Tom's Sunset Casino advertisement". Henderson Home News. August 10, 1989. Retrieved October 18, 2016.
  5. ↑ "Second Anniversary". Henderson Home News. August 15, 1991. Retrieved October 18, 2016.
  6. ↑ "Sunset Casino plans gala opening". Henderson Home News. September 28, 1989. Retrieved October 18, 2016.
  7. ↑ "Sunset Casino's Fun Bus debuts". Henderson Home News. January 18, 1990. Retrieved October 18, 2016.
  8. ↑ Mayes, Aaron (July 19, 1990). "Council approves casino expansion, park". Henderson Home News. Retrieved October 18, 2016.
  9. ↑ Jones, Brian (August 12, 1993). "Rising Sunset". Henderson Home News. Retrieved October 18, 2016.
  10. ↑ Nover, Stephen (January 19, 1997). "Prop bets gaining in popularity". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on September 16, 2000.
  11. ↑ Feour, Royce (September 27, 1997). "New betting system keeps players active". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on September 17, 2000.
  12. ↑ "Eight casinos offer new betting system". Las Vegas Sun. August 22, 1997. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 Berns, Dave (January 16, 1998). "Sun sets in Henderson on casino". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on September 3, 2002.
  14. 1 2 "Tom's Sunset remains closed". Las Vegas Sun. October 9, 1998. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  15. 1 2 3 4 Ferguson, Kevin (September 24, 1998). "Tom's Casino to become Klondike Sunset" (PDF). Henderson Home News. Retrieved August 11, 2016.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Strow, David (October 5, 1999). "Casino reopens as Klondike Sunset". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  17. ↑ Ferguson, Kevin (January 5, 1999). "Horizon Center Plan seeking approval of City Council". Henderson Home News. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
  18. ↑ "For Sale: Klondike Sunset Casino" (PDF). Colliers International. 2011. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  19. ↑ Paul, Keith (December 30, 1999). "Two masked gunman rob Klondike Sunset". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  20. ↑ "News briefs for March 22, 2002". Las Vegas Sun. March 22, 2002. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  21. ↑ "Shots fired inside Klondike Casino". Henderson Home News. March 28, 2002. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
  22. ↑ Howard, K.C. (July 8, 2002). "Henderson Holdups: Casinos hit by string of robberies". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on April 19, 2003.
  23. ↑ "Nevada sports book operator files plan for reorganization". Las Vegas Sun. February 24, 2004. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  24. ↑ "Regulators concerned about betting kiosks". Las Vegas Sun. April 26, 2004. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  25. 1 2 "William Hill Race & Sports Book Business License". Clark County Department of Business License. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  26. 1 2 3 4 Trask, Mike (July 14, 2008). "Signs of slump all over homey family-run casino". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  27. 1 2 3 Benston, Liz (February 2, 2006). "Minicasinos are just right size for some". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  28. 1 2 Katsilometes, John (January 6, 2014). "At his Klondike Hotel or the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign, John Woodrum kept the lights on". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  29. ↑ "Designated Drivers". Henderson Home News. August 15, 2002. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
  30. 1 2 Katsilometes, John (May 28, 2006). "John Katsilometes talks with longtime Klondike Hotel owner John Woodrum about the place closing on June 30". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  31. ↑ Benston, Liz (November 20, 2010). "Casino owner says he worries about problem gamblers, opposes Internet gaming". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  32. 1 2 Koch, Ed (January 7, 2014). "Former owner of the Klondike 'saw opportunities to do things and then got things done'". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  33. ↑ Robison, Jennifer (June 28, 2006). "Well-worn Klondike bid a warm farewell". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on July 25, 2008.
  34. ↑ "Klondike Casino Closes After 45 Years on The Strip". KLAS-TV. June 28, 2006. Archived from the original on February 2, 2012.
  35. ↑ Valley, Jackie (February 6, 2012). "Seven clerks cited in underage alcohol sales sting in Henderson". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  36. ↑ Green, Steve (June 22, 2012). "Lawsuit filed over planned sale of Klondike Sunset Casino". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  37. 1 2 3 Ryan, Cy (March 31, 2014). "Gaming regulators say Henderson casino was short of cash". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  38. 1 2 "Cash-poor casino faces discipline from regulators". KSL-TV. March 31, 2014. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  39. 1 2 3 4 "Question of the Day February 11, 2016". Las Vegas Advisor. February 11, 2016. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  40. ↑ Strow, David (November 1, 1999). "New locals casino offers Vegas theme". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  41. ↑ "City Council Regular Agenda Item". Henderson City Council. March 15, 2016. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  42. 1 2 3 Whaley, Sean (July 28, 2016). "Revamped Klondike Sunset Casino gains licensing OK". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved August 11, 2016.
  43. ↑ "Tenant Improvement Grant Staff Summary Loan Committee Meeting". Henderson City Council. March 22, 2016. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  44. ↑ "Appearing out of the blue, Klondike Sunset reopens". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. August 7, 2016. Retrieved August 11, 2016. (Subscription required (help)).
  45. ↑ Curtis, Anthony (August 16, 2016). "Klondike Sunset Newest Addition to Locals Gaming". Vegas Seven. Retrieved August 24, 2016.
  46. 1 2 3 Krause, H. Scot (September 20, 2016). "Completely remodeled Klondike reopens with new owners". Gaming Today. Retrieved September 29, 2016.
  47. 1 2 3 Moore, Thomas (November 1, 2016). "Revamped Klondike reminiscent of earliest era of locals casinos". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
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