Hussain Mahrous, vice president and general manager of the M Resort, poses in the Raiders Tavern & Grill at the resort in Henderson Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2021. The resort is the Official Raiders Team Headquarters Hotel.
Thursday, Aug. 12, 2021 | 2 a.m.
Former pro football player Garry Lewis blended in with the crowd at the M Resort as he sat in the lobby casually working on his laptop computer.
The only real clue that the 53-year-old used to play in the NFL was a bag by his feet marked “Raiders alumni.”
It’s not unusual to spot members of the Las Vegas Raiders organization — current and former players, even team owner Mark Davis — meandering about the Henderson casino, which is the team’s official "headquarters hotel."
Players stay at the hotel before all of their home games, and the resort caters to the Raider Nation fanbase with features like the Raiders Tavern & Grill.
Davis recently dropped in at the tavern unannounced, M Resort Vice President and General Manager Hussain Mahrous said. “I had no idea, but that’s just what happens here. You don’t know who’s going to stop in,” Mahrous said.
The same thing happened in early April when Raiders quarterback Derek Carr stopped at the tavern to grab a double bison burger.
He tweeted to his 432,000 followers about his experience, saying the tavern was “amazing.” Carr has been back several times since, Mahrous said.
In town for a Raiders alumni event, Lewis said he was impressed with the M Resort, which opened in 2009 and is popular among locals and visitors from California. It is the first major casino in the Las Vegas area travelers from California encounter as they drive in on Interstate 15.
“It’s a nice place,” said Lewis, who played for the team when it was based in Los Angeles in the early 1990s. “The team’s motto is ‘Once a Raider, Always a Raider’ and they really live by that. The Raiders organization is like a family and this place feels like home.”
As Lewis talked, a couple decked out in Raiders gear walked by. A man wearing a Josh Jacobs jersey carried a bag from the team gift shop at the Raiders tavern.
The Raiders tavern, which opened in March, is a fan utopia. It has 45 televisions, rows of signed footballs and other pieces of memorabilia, and a private dining area — the Remy Martin Lounge — that can seat up to 20 people.
The tavern features wine brands from Raiders legends Charles Woodson and Fred Biletnikoff. It also has a small team gift shop that Mahrous said regularly sells out of team merchandise.
“We’re constantly contacting the Raiders to get more gear in,” he said.
Just outside the tavern, the casino has several Raiders themed blackjack tables. They are part of what will be a team-oriented area this football season.
Raiders superfan and radio personality JT the Brick — John Tournour — will do his “Raider Nation” show from the M Resort during the team’s road games this season.
“Raider Nation is global, and there are a lot of great places for Raiders fans in Las Vegas, but M Resort is absolutely one of the top choices,” Tournour said.
Mahrous said he expected business to be “crazy busy” when the Raiders play their regular season opener Sept. 13 against the Baltimore Ravens at nearby Allegiant Stadium, a 15-minute or so drive up Interstate 15 from the M Resort.
“From a hotel standpoint, we’re sold out for all Raiders home games. This is the place to be,” he said.
“If you don’t want the parking headaches and the bachelor parties, the weddings and all the other stuff; if you’ve been to the Strip a lot, it makes a lot of sense to stay here,” he said.
In addition to M Resort’s own shuttle service to Allegiant Stadium for its hotel guests, the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada recently announced a shuttle that would take fans to and from games for $2 each way. The RTC service will make stops at five valley casinos, including the M Resort.
Raiders President Dan Ventrelle said the partnership with M Resort had been mutually beneficial, especially since the property is only about a two-minute drive from the team’s Intermountain Healthcare Performance Center.
“It’s great to continue to build our base in Southern Nevada and specifically in Henderson,” he said. “The Henderson community has been welcoming to the Raiders and the many staff, players, alumni and Raiderettes who live near the facility. The Raiders are proud to call this community home.”
Though the team’s shield logo is menacing and the organization has always had a collective tough-guy persona, Mahrous said the Raiders have been great to work with.
“They’re the easiest, kindest organization I’ve ever dealt with,” he said. “When I talk to other people, they say the same thing.”
Scott Muelrath, president and CEO of the Henderson Chamber, said the Raiders had made a “seamless” transition into the community.
“As an organization, they’ve been visible, invested and forward-thinking partners whose very presence has diversified our economy and fueled further investment around their footprint in west Henderson,” Muelrath said. “The Raiders have woven themselves into the fabric of Henderson.”
