After months of construction, the long-running Poker Palace Casino is preparing to reopen under a new identity. The property in North Las Vegas will operate as Club Fortune North once regulators finalize approvals.

The casino closed at the end of September 2025 after Reno-based Truckee Gaming LLC purchased the nearly five-acre site for $20 million. The company has kept the doors shut while crews replaced much of the building’s interior and upgraded amenities. Company leadership expects a mid-April reopening.

Licensing and reconstruction progress

Members of the Nevada Gaming Control Board have already recommended that the Nevada Gaming Commission grant a license for the rebranded property. Executives told regulators that workers removed large sections of the interior and rebuilt the gaming floor.

Truckee founder and chief executive Ferenc Szony described the former look in blunt terms: “It had the look that if Circus Circus and the Excalibur had a baby, that was Poker Palace,” said Szony according to Las Vegas Review-Journal. “It really needed to a dramatic change. We gave it a far more contemporary look. It was a total gut job on the interior, where we had to rip out part of the floor. We’re in the process of rebuilding.”

He repeated a similar assessment in a separate hearing: “It looked like if Circus Circus and the Excalibur had a baby,” Szony said, referencing the Strip’s lower-market casino resorts. “It needed a dramatic change.”

The redesign includes new slot machines, updated gaming systems, refreshed restrooms, a remodeled bar, expanded kitchen space, and a renovated poker area. The company also plans a race and sports wagering area run as Boomers Sportsbook. Regulators recommended approval for Boomers operations at other Truckee properties as well.

Reopening plans and employment

Truckee Gaming aims to open quickly once construction reaches a workable stage. “If we can get it going with 80% of the things going, we would do that,” Szony said. “That’s on how the construction gets finished.”

The operator intends to rehire former workers whenever possible, giving previous staff priority and preserving seniority. The property will employ about 100 people rather than the previous 125 because table games are not scheduled to return at this time.

Horse wagering, however, will remain part of the business through the sportsbook partnership. “It’s new for us to have horse betting operations,” Szony said. “Let’s see how it goes and hopefully it will work well.”

Because the venue becomes Truckee’s 11th casino, the company also sought permission to move slot machines between its locations, including Club Fortune Casino.

Targeting local customers in a growing area

Szony said the company selected the property after watching development trends in the northern valley. “I grew up in Las Vegas and North Las Vegas was a different section of town,” Szony said. “In the last 10 to 15 years as Las Vegas has seen great growth and renovation, you didn’t hear so much about North Las Vegas. In the last couple of years, you hear a lot more about North Las Vegas. It’s coming on, and we wanted to be a part of it.”

He added that Truckee had been searching for another Southern Nevada property and believes the neighborhood’s population changes support a locals-focused casino. “We’ve been looking for another property in the greater Las Vegas area for quite some time,” Szony said. “This one hit because of where it’s at. We’re pretty optimistic, which is why when you see what it is to become, it will be a credit to the community and that area that’s renovating itself.”

Industry observers note that while the Las Vegas Strip has recorded flat gaming revenue and lower visitor counts in 2025, population growth across Southern Nevada has increased demand for neighborhood casinos. New residents often prefer smaller venues with dining and gaming close to home. Companies including Boyd Gaming have also expanded in residential corridors, with its Cadence Crossing project planned nearby.

The Poker Palace opened in 1974 and served local gamblers for decades. Instead of demolishing the site for housing — a concern raised by some residents after the sale — Truckee chose a full renovation. With construction nearing completion and regulatory approval advancing, the long-time property is set to return under a different name but with a similar focus on neighborhood patrons.