Ahead of the 203-room property’s scheduled official opening on December 3, the Nevada Gaming Commission has approved a non-restricted gaming license for The Lucky Dragon Hotel And Casino.
According to a report from the Las Vegas Review-Journal newspaper, the Thursday approval followed the coming venue’s general manager, Matthew Harkness, presenting the Nevada Gaming Commission with a report into the Las Vegas project in partnership with David Jacoby, Chief Operating Officer for The Lucky Dragon Hotel And Casino.
“It’s really going to be a beautiful property,” Harkness told the Nevada Gaming Commission during the hearing in Carson City. “It’s not a large casino. However, it does have a much bigger feel to it when you walk in.”
For his part, Jacoby reportedly stated that the new property just off the Las Vegas Strip on Sahara Avenue has been designed to cater specifically to Asian customers and is the first ground-up development of its kind in that area for about six years.
“So we’re really excited to be in the forefront of development of what we expect will be a wave of many developments on the north end of the [Las Vegas] Strip,” said Jacoby.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that The Lucky Dragon Hotel And Casino is to feature five unique restaurants offering a range of authentic Asian cuisines while signage will be in Chinese first and English second. The property’s 30,000 sq ft casino will have 40 gaming tables alongside some 300 slots while a VIP salon on the second level is to be geared towards baccarat and pai gow, which are popular with Far East players, as well as a handful of western games such as blackjack.
Harkness reportedly told the Nevada Gaming Commission that the venue is currently selecting 750 to 800 positions from around 18,000 applicants with The Lucky Dragon Hotel And Casino particularly interested in employees with language skills that cater for its targeted Asian clientele. He declared that the property projects that about 35% of its revenues will come from the local Las Vegas market with a similar percentage from southern California. He moreover predicted that approximately 20% of takings are to come from other areas of the United States and Canada, primarily on the west coast, while the final 10% is to be derived from overseas players.
During the hearing, the Nevada Gaming Commission also approved Harkness and Jacoby as key employees and was told that the latter had previously moonlighted as a stand-up comedian while attending university.
“Maybe one day we’ll get a show,” said Tony Alamo, Chairman for the Nevada Gaming Commission. “I think what you guys are doing is very unique.”