Sprawling casino and hotel catering to locals is opening southwest of Las Vegas Strip

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Las Vegas is about to welcome its first brand-new casino in over two years, as a $780 million project called the Durango Casino and Resort prepares to open its doors. This establishment, situated a few miles away from the bustling Las Vegas Strip, has a unique focus on catering to the local community rather than international tourists.

Station Casinos, a subsidiary of the publicly traded Red Rock Resorts Inc., has organized an extensive celebration to mark the occasion, complete with a grand opening event and a spectacular nighttime fireworks display. The Durango Casino and Resort, a 15-story property featuring a 200-room hotel-casino, now stands as the seventh off-Strip property under the Station Casinos brand. It’s worth noting that Station Casinos, initially founded by the late Frank Fertitta Jr. as a bingo parlor in 1976, has evolved into a major player in the industry, employing over 11,000 individuals.

Notably, the Durango Casino and Resort represents the first entirely new casino establishment to grace Las Vegas since June 2021 when the impressive $4.3 billion, 66-story Resorts World complex opened on the iconic Strip. In 2020, the 44-floor Circa introduced itself as the first fresh downtown property in four decades. Over recent months, a number of well-known Las Vegas casinos have either changed ownership or undergone rebranding initiatives.

Looking ahead, Las Vegas is set to witness the grand opening of the $3.7 billion, 67-story Fontainebleau next week, positioned at the north end of the Strip. This striking blue-glass structure began construction in 2007 and remained incomplete on Las Vegas Boulevard for more than a decade.

The Durango Casino and Resort, offering a range of attractions including slot machines, gambling tables, a sports betting area, and four restaurants, has been constructed on a 71-acre (29-hectare) property that had remained vacant since Station Casinos acquired it in 2000. Moreover, there are plans for a subsequent phase that will introduce a second hotel tower, a theater, entertainment facilities, and additional casino space.

In recent years, Station Casinos has also undertaken the demolition and sale of land beneath three older properties that closed during the challenging times of the coronavirus pandemic. Additionally, the company oversees several Wildfire properties that do not include hotel accommodations.

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More about Las Vegas Casino Opening

• Station Casinos
• Red Rock Resorts Inc.
• Resorts World Las Vegas
• Circa Las Vegas
• Fontainebleau Las Vegas
• Las Vegas Boulevard
• Las Vegas Economic Development