Hotel-casino sued in advertising dispute

Thursday, Oct. 21, 1999 | 11:46 a.m.

Restaurant Row LLC sued the Fiesta Hotel Casino, alleging it defaulted on an agreement to lease advertising space on Restaurant Row's billboard, forcing it to accept other alternative deals that offered far less advertising revenue.

Restaurant Row has a three-sided billboard at the southwest corner of Lake Mead and Rainbow boulevards in Las Vegas.

In the Clark County District Court suit, Restaurant Row alleged Fiesta, which allegedly made numerous reassurances it would lease advertising space on the billboard prior to its relocation and enlargement in early 1997, allegedly reneged on the agreement to lease two faces after such adjustments were made.

"There was never a formal agreement," said Jill Lynne, Fiesta hotel-casino's attorney. "Fiesta believes that the complaint is completely without merit and intends to vigorously defend the suit."

Restaurant Row alleged it had initially agreed to allow Texas Station hotel-casino, which also indicated strong interest prior to the billboard changes, to lease advertising space on all sides of the billboard.

But the suit said Restaurant Row later allowed the casino to lease only one side and didn't try to pursue lease agreements with other potentially interested parties because of Fiesta's alleged strong interest.