Control Board recommends gaming license for Water Street’s Rainbow Club
The state Gaming Control Board on Wednesday recommended licensing a downtown Henderson casino that has changed ownership.
The Rainbow Club and Casino, located in Henderson’s historic Water Street District, is now operated by Water Street Gaming LLC. It was sold by Reno-based Peppermill Resorts Inc. for an undisclosed amount in December.
Twin brothers Michael and Timothy Brooks, 15-year operators of the Emerald Island Casino across the street from the Rainbow Club, told Control Board members in a videoconference meeting that they had initially planned to open around June 1, but delays resulting from the coronavirus pandemic have led them to reconsider opening in late August or early September.
All Nevada casinos have been closed since March 18 in accordance with Gov. Steve Sisolak’s executive order.
Timothy Brooks, who serves as the property’s general manager, said the company plans to upgrade the slot machine mix on the casino floor and revamp the menu of the casino’s restaurant. Eventually, the company hopes to integrate the slot machine systems into the two properties.
The board’s unanimous recommendation will be considered by the Nevada Gaming Commission on May 21.
In other business Wednesday, the board agreed to recommend that the owners of two dormant property sites, including operators of the historic Moulin Rouge on West Bonanza Road, get 30-day grace periods for the extension of gaming at their locations.
Operators are allowed to preserve their gaming licenses if they provide temporary gaming on the site with 15 slot machines for at least six hours. Century Gaming Technologies is assisting the site of the now-gone Moulin Rouge hotel-casino to extend its license. A temporary casino in a trailer was scheduled to operate briefly on May 26, but operators aren’t sure gaming will be allowed by then because of the coronavirus-related closures.
Similar circumstances are in play for Fifth Street Gaming LLC, which owns the site of the Western Hotel & Casino on Fremont Street. That company has scheduled a temporary set-up on June 4.
Earlier in the week, the Control Board issued a new policy memorandum guiding the reopening of restricted licensees and slot-route operations once the governor allows casinos to reopen.
The memo, drafted by member Philip Katsaros, details the submission of accounting records and extending payout dates for players holding slot tickets nearing expiration.
The directive tells licensees that they don’t have to submit a reopening plan but that they must submit documentation to the board if the location doesn’t reopen within 30 days of the governor lifting emergency restrictions on licensees.
Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on Twitter.
