Las Vegas loves a good comeback story.
Most gamblers have a tale that involves being down to their last spin on a slot machine or their final few dollars at the tables where lady luck grants a turnaround. One small win snowballs and a night that could have been one to forget about turns into one where you win big (unless you don't walk away and lose it all back).
People gamble in La Vegas because luck can be fickle and there's always the promise that the next big win could happen at any moment. One minute you're contemplating pawning your watch (or at least having to hit the ATM again) and the next you're rolling around on your comped bed on a pile of cash.
The Palms Casino, a popular Las Vegas casino since it opened in 2001 (which in Vegas years makes it a longtime city mainstay) closed in March 2020 due to the pandemic. At the time it was owned by Red Rock Resorts which later sold the well-known off-Strip casino for $650 million to the San Manuel Gaming and Hospitality Authority (SMGHA).
Now, just in time for the NFL draft, the Palms has reopened its doors taking its place as the first Las Vegas resort casino owned and operated by a Native American tribe.
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The Palms Casino Reopens for Business
The SMGHA targeted April 27 for the opening because it was the night before the NFL draft. That event was hosted by Caesars Entertainment (CZR) and takes place on the heart of the strip with the main stage being on The Strip behind the High Roller and The LINQ, adjacent to Caesars Forum.
That's obviously a huge business driver for Caesars and rival MGM Resorts International which own many of the properties in that area, but it's a huge audience driver for the entire city. The Palms might not be in the center of the action, but this will be a huge tourist weekend in Las Vegas and the reflected spotlight on the city at large should benefit the reopening property.
To celebrate its return, The Palms opened the April 27 celebration with a traditional Tribal ceremony led by the San Manuel Gaming and Hospitality Authority (SMGHA) Board and Palms General Manager Cynthia Kiser Murphey. The event, titled a "Celebration of Community" event "continued throughout the day and evening with cocktails poolside and a fireworks extravaganza," The Palms shared in a press release.
The event also included:
- Local favorite Mark Shunock hosted a "Tribal Ceremony, where members of the San Manuel and Paiute tribes opened with traditional bird singing and the SMGHA board presented charitable contributions to three local non-profit organizations."
- “A Taste of Palms” Dine Around shared food samples from some of the new and returning restaurants (including Mabel's BBQ restaurant from celebrity Chef Michael Symon)
- A Poolside reception featuring Local DJs and entertainers including Moonshiners, David Perrico & Pop Strings Orchestra, and a surprise “Splash Mob”
“Not many hotels get an opportunity to make a grand reintroduction in Las Vegas, but Palms is a unique property,” adds Murphey. “We are proud that more than 50% of Palms team members are returning employees and we are confident that this new era in Palms history will be one filled with making new, and lasting memories.”
