Shane the Money Man treats every casino player like a winner at Boulder Station

By Ron Sylvester

Sunday, March 4, 2012 | 2 a.m.

There's a good chance Shane the Money Man knows your name.

If you've spent much time in Boulder Station, and especially if Shane Stephens has ever reached out to shake your hand, bump fists or say more than a few words to you, it's likely he can call you by name. And he shakes a lot of hands and bumps a lot of fists and talks to a lot of people as he glides through the crowded casino floor on a Friday night, preparing for his favorite time of the week — giving money away.

Whether it's handing over a car or calling out numbers for cash, Stephens draws a crowd. But it's not just the money that attracts people — it's Stephens' gregarious personality and the excitement he generates, whether he's whooping it up in a bingo parlor or poker room or giving out freebies.

Shane the Money Man, as he's known at Boulder Station, is a casino host. And whether you're a big winner or a big loser, everyone is equal to him. From the high roller to the guy who sweeps cigarette butts off the floor, everyone gets greeted by their first name with a beaming smile and big handshake.

"You might have a different job than me, but you know, we're all trying to get by," he says. "That's how I look at it, anyway."

Those names. Shane can't explain it. He says he has no secret. Remembering names is just something he's been able to do for years.

It didn't come in as handy when he worked for IBM in the 1980s, taking a lucrative buyout from that company in 1989. He did what his father had done upon retiring from the Air Force 10 years earlier.

"In 1980, if you didn't have a job anywhere else, you could always come to Vegas," Stephens says.

His father worked for years at the Silver City Casino, which sat on a once bustling north end of the Strip, until the huge resorts began pulling people south. By then, Shane had been working for years along the Strip. He worked opening night of the Mirage in 1989, taking his first-name-basis approach with everyone from celebrities to those plunking their dollars into the slots on weekends.

"I was walking through the Mirage one morning, and I saw Michael Jackson walking alone, wearing this red jacket," he remembers. "I said, 'Hi, Michael,' " startling the King of Pop.

Stephens worked at the San Remo (now Hooters Hotel), Planet Hollywood and even CasaBlanca in Mesquite.

But the past six years at Boulder Station have made the 54-year-old somewhat of a celebrity among the locals who flock there on weekends and travelers looking to get away from the bustle of the Strip. His boisterous greetings and willingness to dress up as Santa Claus, the Easter bunny, Tarzan or in big suit with dollar signs during giveaways make the former disc jockey a presence that has landed his picture on posters throughout the casino. He pulls up to begin the night shift in an electric blue Nissan 370Z and the casino buzzes with gossip of Shane's new ride.

Stephens hams it up as he reads off numbers for a cash giveaway like a caffeinated game show host. Friday night's winner was Joe Petersen, who lives near the casino and comes regularly to play poker and always enters the drawing.

"I've been entering for four years and this is the first time I've won," says Petersen, 76. "I used to think this was, you know?"

Fixed?

"But now I know it's real," Petersen says.

After collecting his $1,000 winnings, Petersen asked if he could have his picture taken with Shane the Money Man.