North Las Vegas still fighting casino over hotel room requirement

Diana Sahagun

Thursday, Aug. 17, 2000 | 11:05 a.m.

With different interpretations of a city ordinance and a number of options on the table, the North Las Vegas City Council decided Wednesday to allow Fort Las Vegas Casino to operate for at least one more month.

City Attorney Sean McGowan debated with David Crosby, the owner's attorney, whether Fort Las Vegas, 2428 E. Cheyenne Avenue, was grandfathered in and does not have to build a 100-room hotel.

The city passed a 100-room hotel requirement in 1984, and Fort Las Vegas applied for and received a non-restricted gaming permit in 1992, with the condition that it build the hotel.

The state passed a 200-room hotel requirement for non-restricted licenses in 1992, with the city amending its ordinance to a 200-room requirement in 1998.

Crosby believes the change to the city's ordinance in 1998 wiped the slate clean for all the applications before it, which would have included Fiesta Casino and Texas Gambling Hotel and Casino, both of which have built the necessary rooms.

Therefore, Crosby said the owners will not be building the hotel.

Councilwoman Stephanie Smith argued heatedly that casino owners Patricia and Boyd Bulloch had not lived up to their promises, and are in violation of the city's ordinance. Smith made a motion to revoke their gaming license, preempted by a motion by Councilman John Rhodes to table the matter.

Both motions failed, but a third motion to continue the issue until Sept. 20 was approved.

"We have forced so many people to comply with our new laws ... we have denied people with dog runs because they were a foot off because they didn't meet our ordinance," Smith said. "I think the city needs to take a strong stance for once and say these are our rules."

One option the council said it would consider is granting the owners a restricted gaming license, which will only allow 15 slot machines, and not require a hotel. The non-restricted gaming license allows for more than 16 slot machines or any live gaming. The casino currently has 50 slots.