Who Owns Casino Slot Machines

According to the best data I could find on the subject, you can gamble at any of 136 total casinos in Las Vegas.

But they’re not all separate business entities.

In an arrangement not replicated anywhere in the U.S., the state of Kansas owns the new Boot Hill Casino & Resort—the slot machines, the blackjack tables, the chips, all of it, right down to the.

In fact, most of them are not individual businesses. Most of the casinos on the Strip are owned by one of four different companies.

Who owns the Las Vegas casinos?

This post offers some answers.

Not every business in Las Vegas counts as a casino, and some of the casinos included in that tally of 136 casinos are located just outside the Las Vegas city limits.

When most people think of Las Vegas these days, they think of the Strip, which is in Paradise and Winchester — both unincorporated towns just outside the city limits.

Also, for purposes of this tally, I’m not including small local businesses with a gambling machine or two — you can find plenty of bars and gas stations that fit that criteria. None of them are what I would call a casino, although definitions vary.

Any business with more than 15 slot machines or that offers tables games (like blackjack, craps, or roulette) can safely be included under the category of “casino,” though.

Most of the casinos in Las Vegas are either on (or just off) the Strip or on Boulder Highway. Between just those two locations, you’ll find over 90 of those 136 casinos.

Downtown Las Vegas also has a couple of dozen casinos, and the rest are in North Las Vegas.

Together, Las Vegas casinos generate $10 billion a year in revenue. About two-thirds of that is generated from casinos on the Strip.

MGM Resorts Owns a Lot of Casinos in Las Vegas

Mandalay Bay and MGM Resorts merged nearly 15 years ago to become one of the biggest casino-owning companies in the city. Some (but not all) of the casinos in Las Vegas they own include the following.

Aria
Bellagio
Circus Circus
CityCenter
Delano
Excalibur
Luxor
Mandalay Bay
MGM Grand
The Mirage
New York New York
Park MGM (Used to be the Monte Carlo)
Vdara

That’s a huge number of casinos on the Las Vegas Strip for one company to own — almost 25% of the properties on the Strip, in fact.

And since these are some of the largest casinos on the Strip, MGM Resorts controls a larger number of the gambling action than you might expect. They probably account for 40% or 45% of the gambling revenue on the Strip.

In the last couple of years, MGM Resorts has started moving into the online gaming space, too. They recently signed a partnership agreement with Yahoo Sports to provide sports betting functionality.

Caesars Entertainment Is the Other Big Player in Las Vegas Casinos

Caesars Entertainment got big as the result of a merger between Caesars and Harrah’s. They own the following casinos.

Bally’s
Caesars Palace
The Cromwell
Flamingo
Harrah’s
Linq
O’Sheas
Paris
Planet Hollywood
Rio Suites
Harrah’s in Laughlin

Caesars is the fourth-largest gaming company in the world, and they generate $8.6 billion a year in revenue. Not all of that is generated by their Las Vegas properties, but a huge chunk of it is.

Caesars also owns close to 96 acres of undeveloped land near the Las Vegas Strip. I’m betting that they’ll add more casinos there at some point, but this post is about who owns which casinos in Las Vegas now, not in the future, so I’ll save the speculation for later.

Boyd Gaming Is Probably the Biggest Casino Company You’ve Never Heard Of

Boyd Gaming runs multiple casino properties from its headquarters in Paradise, Nevada. The company makes the bulk of its money from casino gambling, which generates 75% of their revenue.

Boyd Gaming owns the following Las Vegas casinos.

Aliante
California Casino
Cannery Casino
Eastside Cannery Casino
Eldorado Casino
Fremont Hotel and Casino
Gold Coast
Jokers Wild
Main Street Station
The Orleans
Sam’s Town
Suncoast Hotel and Casino

Three of these casinos — California Hotel and Casino, Fremont Hotel and Casino, and Main Street Station — are in Downtown Vegas.

Many of Boyd Gaming’s casinos cater to customers who are interested in spending less money. A lot of their casinos have hotel rooms available at $40 per night, sometimes less. Fremont and Main Street regularly have room rates as low as $30 a night on weeknights.

Boyd Gaming’s casinos cater to a largely locals market, and their odds and payouts are higher than the big corporate casinos on the Strip.

Station Casinos Is the Other Big Casino Owner in Town

The headquarters for Station Casinos is in Summerlin. Station, like Boyd, specializes in offering casino games with great odds to local gamblers. In fact, you can find the best video poker games in town at several of the properties owned by Station Casinos.

They own the following properties.

Boulder Station
Green Valley Ranch
Palace Station
Palms Casino Resort
Red Rock Resort
Santa Fe Station
Texas Station
Fiesta Henderson
Fiesta Rancho
Wild Wild West

Perhaps the most notable thing about Station Casinos is the availability of high-paying video poker games that aren’t available at other casinos.

Video poker is one of those games that has a high payback percentage, but it’s only high if you choose the right games with the right pay tables. Station Casinos offer more of these games than almost any other company in Las Vegas.

How do you define a high-payout video poker game?

Generally, I look for games with a payback percentage of 98% or higher.

It won’t take much research on the internet to find out which pay tables and which games you should look for at Station Casinos.

If you combine this low house edge with the rewards you get from joining the slots club, you might even show a small long-term profit playing video poker at Station Casinos.

But you’ll probably not make much of a living from that endeavor.

Golden Entertainment owns the following casinos, but they also operate taverns with slot machines in them. And they provide slots to other businesses.

Aquarius Casino Resort
Arizona Charlie’s Boulder
Arizona Charlie’s Decatur
Colorado Belle
Edgewater Hotel and Casino
Stratosphere Las Vegas

They also own three casinos in Pahrump, Nevada, which is about 60 miles from Vegas.

I have experience at the Stratosphere, by the way, and I recommend checking it out next time you visit Vegas. The rotating restaurant, Top of the World, offers the most breathtaking views of Las Vegas that you could imagine.

You Can Also Find Individual Casinos Owned by (VERY RICH) Individuals

Casino Royale, for example, is owned by Margaret Elardi. She’s in her mid-90s, and her son Tom helps to run the casino. By all accounts, the Elardis are private people. They used to own the Frontier in the 1990s.

El Cortez is owned by Kenny Epstein. It’s one of the smaller casinos in town, but it’s also one of the oldest, having opened in 1941. It’s on the National Register of Historic Places.

El Cortez is the oldest continually-operating casino in Las Vegas by a far sight — no one else comes close.

Slots-A-Fun is owned by Phil Ruffin. You’ll find it right next to Circus Circus, but you’ll need to be alert — it’s one of the smallest casinos in town. Slots-A-Fun used to be famous for offering dollar blackjack and $2 craps, but they no longer offer table games at all. You can still shoot pool and play shuffleboard there, though.

They also have a bowling alley.

Who owns the casinos in Las Vegas?

Most of them are owned by four or five companies, although several are owned by individuals.

If you’re gambling on the Strip, you’re probably doing business with a huge corporation.

But even if you’re gambling at one of the smallest casinos in Las Vegas, you can bet that the owner is rich beyond belief.

TUNICA

Hollywood Casino- Penn National Gaming Inc.

“Penn National Gaming, through its subsidiaries, operates or has ownership interests in 20 casinos across the country and in Canada. With approx. 31,000 gaming machines and 760 table games”
“Newest slots, action-packed table games and array of entertainment and dining options.”
3 in Mississippi, 2 in Missouri, 2 in New Jersey, 1 in New Mexico, 1 in Nevada, 4 in Ohio, 1 in Ontario, 5 in Pennsylvania, 2 in Texas, 1 in West Virginia
1,100 reel, video slot, and video poker machines, over 26 table games
54,000 sq. ft, 494-room luxury hotel and first class restaurants

Resorts Casino Tunica- Resorts International Holdings, Formerly Harrah’s

200 room hotel, 35,000 sq ft
Owned by Colony Capital and operated by its Resorts International Holding Division
Opened in 1994
Signature attraction: river bend links golf course
Riverboat casino
Previous names: Southern Belle Casino, Harrah’s Tunica Mardi Gras Casino

Sam’s Town Casino Resort- Boyd Gaming

Two floors featuring more than 1,200 slots and 30 table games
Boyd Gaming: Has casinos in Las Vegas (9), llinois (1), Indiana (1), Iowa (2), Kansas (1), Louisiana (5), Mississippi (2), New Jersey (1)- Currently own and operate 22 gaming properties in eight states
Boyd Gaming: founded in 1975, one of the largest and most successful casino entertainment companies in the United States
“One of the most respected names in the gaming industry” Prides itself on offering guests an “outstanding entertainment experience, all delivered with the unrivaled attention to customer service that is known as Boyd Style.”

Goldstrike Casino Resort- MGM Resorts International

“MGM develops, builds, and operates unique destination resorts designed to provide a total resort experience, including first-class accommodations and dining, world-class entertainment, state-of-the-art meeting and convention facilities, and high-quality retail and gaming experiences”
62,000 employees
Company one of the world’s leading global hospitality and entertainment companies with 23 resorts world-wide
Nevada, Mississippi, Michigan, China, etc.
http://www.mgmresorts.com/company/company-overview.aspx
50,000 sq ft of casino floor

Horseshoe Casino – Caesar’s Entertainment

“Caesars Entertainment Corporation is the world’s most geographically diversified casino-entertainment company. Since its beginning in Reno, Nevada, more than 75 years ago, Caesars has grown through development of new resorts, expansions and acquisitions, and now operates casinos on three continents. The company’s resorts operate primarily under the Harrah’s®, Caesars® and Horseshoe® brand names. Caesars also owns the London Clubs International family of casinos. Caesars Entertainment is focused on building loyalty and value with its guests through a unique combination of great service, excellent products, unsurpassed distribution, operational excellence and technology leadership. Caesars is committed to environmental sustainability and energy conservation and recognizes the importance of being a responsible steward of the environment.”
“Over 1,700 of the newest, hottest, and most classic slot machines”
Exclusive Binionaire progressives that start at $150,000
500 rooms in hotel
14-story tower
311 suites

Tunica Roadhouse Casino and Hotel – Caesar’s Entertainment

company info
36 table games, more than 1,300 video poker and slot machines located on 2 floors
134 suites in hotel, all have whirlpool bathtub
2 restaurants and a buffet

Bally’s Casino- Resorts International Holdings Acquisitions

RIH Acquisitions MS II, LLC
Licenses names from Caesars License Company, LLC. Bally’s Tunica and RIH Acquistions have no affiliation with Caesar’s License Company and its affiliates
238 rooms in hotel
table games, slots, video poker

Fitz Casino and Hotel- Majestic Star Casino and Hotel

Majestic Star headquartered in Gary, Indiana
Operator of 2 casino resorts
Properties in Gary and Tunica
500 rooms and suites on nine floors
More than 1,000 slot and video poker machines
Over 20 table games
Riverview buffet, Indulge Café, The Steakhouse

GULF COAST

Beau Rivage Resort & Casino-MGM RESORTS INTERNATIONAL

Based in Las Vegas, Nev. MGM Resorts International owns the Beau Rivage Resort and Casino in Biloxi, Miss. and the Goldstrike Casino Resort in Tunica, Miss. MGM Resorts International owns and operates 15 properties through Nevada, Mississippi, and Michigan, and has 50% investments in Nevada, Illinois, and Macau, China. Their properties include 41,451 rooms and suites.

Boomtown-PENN NATIONAL GAMING, INC.

Penn National Gaming Inc. owns and operates 27 properties including the Boomtown Casino in Biloxi, the Hollywood Casino Gulf Coast in Bay St. Louis, and the Hollywood Casino in Tunica, Miss. Their other locations around the country include Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Texas, and West Virginia. Their facilities currently include approximately 31,000 gaming machines, 800 table games, and 2,900 hotel rooms.

Golden Nugget Biloxi-LANDRYS, INC.

Landry’s, Inc. is the owner and operator of over 450 gaming, dining, entertainment, and hospitality facilities with more than 40 exclusive brands such as the Rainforest Cafe and Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. The Golden Nugget Biloxi features more than 1,200 slot machines, 54 table games, and 700 rooms and suites.

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino-PREMIER ENTERTAINMENT BILOXI/HARD ROCK

Who Owns Casino Slot Machines Jackpots

The Hard Rock Biloxi currently features over 500 video slots, 50 table games including four poker tables, and 318 hotel rooms and suites. Premier Entertainment Biloxi was incorporated in 2003 in Biloxi, Miss. It operates as a subsidiary of Twin River Management Group, Inc. based in Lincoln, R.I.

Harrah’s Gulf Coast-CAESARS ENTERTAINMENT CORPORTATION

The Caesars Entertainment Corporation started 75 years ago in Reno, Nev. Their resorts are primarily operated under the Harrah’s, Caesars, and Horseshoe brand names. The Caesars Entertainment Corporation currently operates the London Clubs International group of casino as well. Harrah’s Gulf Coast has 494 guest rooms in their hotel. They offer 35 tables games and 775 slot machines.

IP Casino Resort Spa-BOYD GAMING

The IP Casino Resort Spa has over 1,000 rooms and suites in Biloxi, Miss. Boyd Gaming operates facilities in Nevada, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, and New Jersey. The IP Casino Resort Spa features a 70,000-square-foot casino with over 1,700 slots, 60 table games, and a 13 table non-smoking poker room.

How Casinos Control Slot Machines

Palace Casino Resort-PALACE CASINO RESORT, LLC.

The Palace Casino Resort prides itself in being the only smoke free casino on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The casino has over 800 slot machines and 26 table games. The Palace Casino Resort is based out of Biloxi, Miss.

Treasure Bay- TREASURE BAY, LLC.

The Treasure Bay Casino and Hotel has 197 hotel rooms, 816 slot machines, and 26 table games. Treasure Bay L.L.C. was founded in 1993 in Biloxi, Miss. Treasure Bay L.L.C.’s properties include Treasure Bay at Our Lucaya in the Bahamas, Treasure Bay St. Lucia, Alhambra Casino in Aruba, Divi Carina Bay Casino on St. Croix Island, USVI, and the Divi Flamingo Casino in Bonaire.

Hollywood Casino Gulf Coast-PENN NATIONAL GAMING, INC.

Island View Casino Resort- GULFSIDE CASINO PARTNERSHIP

The Island View Casino Resort has 565 rooms. Their casino is 83,000 square feet with approximately 2,000 slots and 45 table games. The Gulfside Casino Partnership L.L.C. operates as the Island View Casino Resort, which is owned by Rick Carter and Terry Green. The property was founded in Gulfport, Miss. in 2006.

Silver Slipper Casino- FULL HOUSE RESORTS

The Silver Slipper Casino features 30,000 square feet with nearly 1,000 slot machines and 28 table games. The Silver Slipper is owned and operated by Full House Resorts, which was founded in Delaware in 1987. The Silver Slipper Casino Hotel is coming soon.

Best Slot Machines At Casinos

Ameristar Casino in Vicksburg, is owned by Pinnacle Entertainment. They have 15 casinos across the country. There is a total of 72,210 gaming square feet and a total of 332,918 square feet in the casino. Ameristar has 149 hotel rooms and 3 restaurants. There are 1,550 slot games, 27 table games, and 10 poker games.

Diamond Jacks Casino and Hotel in Vicksburg is owned by Legends gaming. They have two casinos including the one in Vicksburg. There is 28,000 gaming square feet with a total of 48,123 square feet. Diamond Jacks Casino and Hotel has 122 hotel rooms and three restaurants. There are 653 slot games and 13 table games.

Lady Luck Casino in Vicksburg is owned by Isle of Capri Casinos. It is a corporate company that owns 15 casinos, three of them being in Mississippi. There is a total of 35,000 square feet in the casino. Lady Luck Casino has 89 hotel rooms and four restaurants. There are 591 slot games and 8 table games.

Riverwalk Casino and Hotel in Vicksburg is locally owned. There is 25,000 gaming square feet with a total of 120,000 square feet. Riverwalk Casino and Hotel has 80 hotel rooms and 2 restaurants. There are 745 slot games and 14 table games.

Isle of Capri Hotel and Casino in Natchez is owned by Isle of Capri Casinos. This is a corporate company and they own 15 casinos including the one in Natchez. There is 17,634 gaming square feet and a total of 96,246 square feet. Isle of Capri Hotel and Casino has 126 hotel rooms. There are 562 slot games and 6 table games.

Magnolia Bluffs Casino in Natchez has 16,032 gaming square feet and a total of 49,622 square feet.

Bok Homa in Choctaw is owned by the development of the Mississippi Band of Choctw Indians. This is the latest edition to the Pearl River Resort. There is a total of 27,000 square feet. Bok Homa has one restaurant and is not a hotel. There are 35 slot games with over 750 slot machines.

Golden Moon in Choctaw has 600 hotel rooms.

Slot Machine Casino Games

Silver Star in Choctaw has 90,000 gaming square feet. There are 500 hotel rooms. Silver Star has 2,200 state of the art slot machines.

(Alane Parris,Lindsay Langston, Ginny Luckie)