Monday, June 30, 2003 | 11:11 a.m.
A Northern Nevada gaming company has entered the Las Vegas-area market by completing the previously announced purchase of the Mining Co. casino in Henderson.
This is the sixth casino acquisition in Nevada for the Holder Hospitality Group Inc. of Sparks in the past three years. The company bought the Henderson property, at 920 S. Boulder Highway, from Phil and Tom Boekle. The casino employs about 75 people.
Terms of the purchase were not disclosed.
Bruce Dewing, president of Holder Hospitality Group, said last week that the company has been interested in the Las Vegas market for some time.
"This property was available and we were able to secure it," he said. "It has a ton of potential."
The name of the 3-year-old casino has been changed to Charlie Holder's Casino Restaurant and Bar and expansion plans are under way.
The number of slot machines at the casino will increase within the next month to 200, up from 167, Dewing said.
The restaurant will be expanded by about 50 seats and an electronic reader board will be added to the outside of the casino.
Future expansion plans include increasing the size of the casino to accommodate a new casino bar and an entertainment venue.
Dewing said those expansions will come after the slot machines are added and after the town becomes familiar with the new company.
"Mailers are going out," he said. "There's a players' club there, and we are mailing them this week with an incentive offer."
Dewing said there will be a paycheck cashing promotion and a vehicle give away in the next couple of months.
"We are changing the philosophy, changing the name and kicking it up a notch," he said.
The Holder Hospitality Group did not purchase the 75-room Hawthorne Suites that is connected to the casino. Dewing said there are no plans to add any hotel rooms to the casino.
As for future plans in the Las Vegas area, Dewing said the company is exploring other opportunities.
"We're real happy and real excited about being in Las Vegas," Dewing said. "Hopefully we can bring something more to the table than people are accustomed to."
The Holder Hospitality Group owns the Silver Club Hotel-Casino in Sparks, El Capitan Casino Resort in Hawthorne, Sharkey's Casino in Gardnerville, Sundance Casino in Winnemucca, Model "T" Casino RV Resort in Winnemucca and a statewide slot route. The company also owns Carson City AM radio station KPTL.
The group is expected to close escrow today on a seventh casino in Fernley, which is east of Reno, Dewing said.
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