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Arizona Charlie's Decatur

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Arizona Charlie's Decatur is a hotel and locals casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. It includes 258 rooms and 55,227 sq ft (5,130.8 m2) of gaming space. The property began in 1963, as a bowling alley developed by the Becker family. Bruce Becker eventually took over management and proposed adding a hotel-casino. The property opened in April 1988, and is named after a distant relative of the family, Arizona Charlie.

Arizona Charlie's Decatur
Arizona Charlie's Decatur in 2017
Location Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
Address 740 Decatur Boulevard
Opening dateApril 1988; 36 years ago (April 1988)
No. of rooms258
Total gaming space55,227 sq ft (5,130.8 m2)
Casino typeLand-based
OwnerGolden Entertainment
Previous namesArizona Charlie's (1988–2000)
Arizona Charlie's West (2000–2003)
Renovated in1994, 2021
Websitewww.arizonacharliesdecatur.com

Residents were originally opposed to having a hotel-casino in the area, although the property has since become popular among locals. It opened with a three-story, 100-room hotel. The bowling alley was removed during an expansion in 1994, which included a seven-story hotel addition.

The property's operating company filed bankruptcy in 1997, and Arizona Charlie's was purchased the following year by businessman Carl Icahn, who owned it for the next decade. Golden Entertainment eventually acquired it in 2017.

A sister property, Arizona Charlie's Boulder, is located along Boulder Highway in the east Las Vegas Valley.

History

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In the 1960s, Ernest Becker III and his family built the Charleston Heights shopping center, located along Decatur Boulevard. It included a 36-lane bowling alley known as Charleston Heights Bowl, opened in 1963. Son Bruce Becker took over management of the bowling alley in the 1970s, and proposed adding a hotel-casino onto it during the 1980s.[1]

Construction of Arizona Charlie's began in July 1987,[2] with the project costing $18 million. The Western-themed property opened in April 1988, with a three-story, 100-room hotel.[3] It is named after a distant relative of the Becker family, Arizona Charlie (1860–1932), who once performed in western shows with Buffalo Bill.[4][5]

Area residents had protested the construction of Arizona Charlie's, arguing that it would lead to increased crime and traffic in the neighborhood.[1][6] A hotel expansion, consisting of three six-story towers, was approved by the Las Vegas City Council in 1991. Residents were also critical of this plan,[6][7] which would require shutting down the adjacent Evergreen Avenue, just south of Arizona Charlie's. Residents opposed the street's closure, leading to a lengthy battle with the hotel-casino.[8] In 1993, the property reduced its expansion plan to a single new tower, standing seven stories.[9] The expansion project cost $38 million,[10] and necessitated removal of the bowling alley. During this time, casino operations continued in a temporary tent that contained 375 slot machines.[11] The expansion opened in 1994.[1]

The property's operating company, Arizona Charlie's Inc., filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1997, after investing in a failed riverboat casino project in Missouri.[6] Businessman Carl Icahn soon purchased a 51-percent interest in Arizona Charlie's mortgage debt, and Station Casinos also purchased a small interest. By May 1998, Icahn and Station had both launched efforts to take over Arizona Charlie's, and the Becker family was fighting in bankruptcy court to maintain control of the property.[12] Station eventually decided not to pursue a purchase,[13][14] following opposition from Crescent Real Estate, which, at the time, was planning to merge with Station.[15][16]

Bruce Becker hoped to receive a $92 million loan to keep the hotel-casino and to expand it,[15] but this plan fell through in July 1998; the lender declined to provide the funds after closely examining the property's financial prospects.[16][17] Icahn took it over soon thereafter.[18][19] Becker reached a deal with Icahn to buy back the hotel-casino by the end of 1999,[18] and Station also made further proposals to purchase it, but neither effort panned out.[20][21]

Ron Lurie, who served as mayor of Las Vegas from 1987 to 1991, later worked at Arizona Charlie's.[22] In the late 1990s, he was serving as the property's marketing director,[20] and soon thereafter became general manager.[22] He replaced Becker, who had briefly remained as manager until January 1999.[23]

By 2004, ownership had been transferred to Icahn's new company, American Casino & Entertainment Properties (ACEP).[24] In 2008,[25] Icahn sold the company and its properties to Whitehall Street Real Estate Funds, an affiliate of Goldman Sachs.[26][27] In 2017, ACEP was acquired by Golden Entertainment.[28]

In 2021, the property's original roadside sign, which includes an image of Arizona Charlie, was donated to the city's Neon Museum for preservation.[29]

Property overview

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Arizona Charlie's has 258 rooms and a 55,227 sq ft (5,130.8 m2) casino, which includes a bingo room.[22][30] As of 2007, the hotel-casino had 800 employees.[22] The property is popular among locals for its food and gaming, as well as live entertainment.[22][31][32] During the 1990s, it hosted many boxing matches.[33]

An Outback Steakhouse opened in the casino in 2007.[22] In 2010, the casino opened Ron's Steakhouse, named after Lurie.[34][35] A renovation in 2021 introduced several new dining options, including a Dunkin' Donuts.[32]

Other locations

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By 1998,[16] Becker Gaming was also operating several bars and restaurants around the Las Vegas Valley under the "Charlie's" name,[36] such as Charlie's Lakeside.[37][38]

A second hotel-casino property, Arizona Charlie's Boulder, is located along Boulder Highway in the east Las Vegas Valley.[26] It opened in 2000, as Arizona Charlie's East.[39] The original property was renamed Arizona Charlie's West, and became Arizona Charlie's Decatur in 2003.[40]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Evans, K.J. (February 7, 1999). "Ernest Becker". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  2. ^ "Construction begins on new casino". Las Vegas Review-Journal. July 30, 1987. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  3. ^ Bates, Warren (April 4, 1988). "Western character's namesake hotel-casino to open". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  4. ^ Taylor, F. Andrew (November 1, 2011). "Developers named Arizona Charlie's for distant relative". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  5. ^ "New Owners in The Chips for Vegas Hotels". The Press of Atlantic City. May 1, 1988. Retrieved September 9, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ a b c "Arizona Charlie's files for Chapter 11". Las Vegas Sun. November 17, 1997. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  7. ^ Havas, Adrian A. (March 24, 1991). "Some say Charlie's no angel". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  8. ^ Retrieved September 9, 2024:
  9. ^ Papinchak, Steve (May 18, 1993). "Hotel seeks smaller expansion". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  10. ^ "Book gets bigger". Las Vegas Review-Journal. August 21, 1994. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  11. ^ "Slot players will gamble in tent as popular casino renovated". Reno Gazette-Journal. January 18, 1994. Retrieved September 9, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ Retrieved September 6, 2024:
  13. ^ Berns, Dave (June 24, 1998). "Arizona Charlie's still in play". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on September 10, 1999.
  14. ^ Berns, Dave (June 25, 1998). "Station Casinos backs away from Arizona Charlie's deal". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on August 22, 2001.
  15. ^ a b Berns, Dave (June 26, 1998). "Becker escapes takeover". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on October 7, 1999.
  16. ^ a b c Wilen, John (July 27, 1998). "Arizona Charlie's loan falls through". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
  17. ^ Wilen, John (August 3, 1998). "Arizona Charlie's mum on loan". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
  18. ^ a b Wilen, John (December 8, 1998). "Becker seeks funds to re-acquire Arizona Charlie's". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
  19. ^ "Corporate raider Carl Icahn approved for Nevada casino". Las Vegas Sun. September 25, 1998. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
  20. ^ a b "Brief: Former mayor to run hotel-casino". Las Vegas Sun. February 19, 1999. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
  21. ^ Berns, Dave (July 19, 1999). "Icahn, Station Casinos apparently not near a deal". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on January 18, 2000.
  22. ^ a b c d e f Stutz, Howard (February 19, 2007). "Arizona Charlie's executive aims to boost client count with warm welcomes". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on March 4, 2007.
  23. ^ Wilen, John (March 3, 1999). "Arizona Charlie's looking at expansion with Icahn funds". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
  24. ^ Smith, Rod (2004-05-26). "Icahn casino reshuffle ending". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on 2004-05-28.
  25. ^ "Sale of Stratosphere parent now complete". Las Vegas Review-Journal. February 22, 2008. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
  26. ^ a b "Icahn sells Southern Nevada casinos". Las Vegas Review-Journal. April 24, 2007. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
  27. ^ "A Goldman Sachs unit is buying 4 casinos from Carl Icahn". The New York Times. April 23, 2007. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
  28. ^ Velotta, Richard N. (October 23, 2017). "Golden closes on $850M deal for Stratosphere, 3 other casinos". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  29. ^ Velotta, Richard N. (August 12, 2021). "Arizona Charlie's Decatur sign to get new home at Neon Museum". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  30. ^ "Listing of Financial Statements Square Footage (2017 data)". Nevada Gaming Control Board. March 6, 2018. p. 1. Archived from the original on June 20, 2018.
  31. ^ "Low rollers". Forbes. June 1, 1998. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
  32. ^ a b McCarver, Katie Ann (April 24, 2023). "Business motto sustains Arizona Charlie's as it celebrates 35 years serving Las Vegas". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  33. ^ Retrieved September 7, 2024:
  34. ^ Przybys, John (April 13, 2011). "Former mayor lends name to new Ron's Steakhouse". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  35. ^ Bulavsky, Jack (August 16, 2013). "Dining Pick of the Week: Ron's Steakhouse". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  36. ^ Knapp Rinella, Heidi (February 28, 2007). "Beyond the Bar Food: Upping the Ante". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on March 9, 2007.
  37. ^ White, Ken (November 8, 2006). "Becker's Lakeside revamps former restaurant with new choices, new look". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on April 1, 2007.
  38. ^ Granger, Jesse (February 3, 2017). "Where to watch: In Las Vegas, plenty of options on Super Bowl Sunday". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
  39. ^ Strow, David (May 24, 2000). "Icahn's new casino noted for both values, luxury". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
  40. ^ "Arizona Charlie's modifies players club rules". Las Vegas Review-Journal. December 20, 2002. Archived from the original on March 20, 2005. Oh yeah, one more change: as of Jan. 1, Arizona Charlie's East will be renamed Arizona Charlie's Boulder while Arizona Charlie's West becomes Arizona Charlie's Decatur.
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