Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2004 | 11:04 a.m.
Las Vegas tennis star Andre Agassi hasn't determined just how much star power he will bring to the downtown Las Vegas hotel-casino he has invested in.
But he's definitely interested in boosting the fortunes of the Golden Nugget, which was purchased by partners Tim Poster and Tom Breitling, who received a four-year gaming license from regulators last month after acquiring the property from MGM MIRAGE last year for $215 million.
Agassi said he'd definitely make appearances at the landmark downtown hotel-casino.
"For me, I'm a part of it so I would hope that it is a place I would want to be at," Agassi said in an interview at the 24 Hour Fitness Club that now bears his name as a celebrity endorser. "I'm definitely going to be there. As of right now, I'm a small partner that is enjoying the association and what the investment offers. How it unfolds has yet to be determined."
Agassi's agent, longtime boyhood friend Perry Rogers, went to school with Poster and Agassi said he has known the newest downtown casino owner since he was 13.
Agassi has had an affinity for historic Las Vegas, assisting the Boys and Girls Club of Las Vegas and building the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy in some of the city's oldest neighborhoods.
"Old Vegas is a great thing to me," Agassi said. "And I think it can come back again stronger than ever."
Some gaming insiders have theorized that Agassi could use his influence with celebrity performers to put an economic jolt into downtown Las Vegas, but Agassi said he doesn't know to what extent his involvement would be.
The Golden Nugget investment is just one of the local business opportunities Agassi wants to be a part of when his tennis playing days end. Monday, he attached his world-renowned name to the growing fitness club chain, making a special appearance while hundreds worked out on weight machines and treadmills.
Agassi, currently the fifth-ranked tennis player in the world, fielded questions from reporters and greeted people exercising Monday at what is now known as the 24 Hour Fitness Agassi Super-Sport Club, which is near the Summerlin Library.
Agassi said he plans to involve himself further in Southern Nevada business, paying attention to enterprises he personally believes in.
"The whole point of anything I associate myself with is it being authentic, something that's a real part of my life, something I believe in, something that I'm committed to," he said.
Agassi said he hopes any of his business enterprises can in some way tie in to his charitable foundation, which has assisted the Boys and Girls Club, Child Haven and the prep school.
His Las Vegas-based causes have been backed by international brands that have capitalized on being associated with the tennis pro. Agassi and Rogers plan to negotiate with his endorsement partners to continue their associations beyond his playing days.
"(Camera manufacturer) Canon has been with me since I was 18 years old and at the time I was ranked 140th in the world," Agassi said. "They still had my ads on TV, they still supported with me (in the early days of his career). I hope they conclude that the relationship can continue."
He believes that his endorsement deal with men's cologne manufacturer Aramis is "an opportunity that clearly can extend beyond my playing years."
Would he consider getting into the automotive industry like retired athlete John Elway, who has several dealerships in Southern Nevada?
"I've never really thought about owning a dealership," Agassi said. "But I'm with the company Kia because of their support for the Australian Open. They recently took over the sponsorship from Ford."
But not all of Agassi's Las Vegas business deals have been high fliers. The Official All Star Cafe, a restaurant chain with a location on the Las Vegas Strip at the Showcase mall, went out of business after its Planet Hollywood parent company filed for bankruptcy protection in 1998.
Agassi was one of several celebrity athletes who had their images associated with the chain, which closed in 1999, putting 100 people out of work and leaving a trail of debt with leaseholders.
"I think it (the failure of the All Star Cafe) was a function of spreading too fast, too thin," Agassi said. "When you build something, it has to have a solid foundation. There was a business model set in place that was hoping a lot would grow with the expansion of more restaurants. I wasn't part of the business model there, but I put my name and likeness to it."
His most recent business association, with 24 Hour Fitness Worldwide, will soon be expanding, but it already has a firm foundation.
The privately held company, which calls itself the world's largest privately owned and operated fitness center chain, was approached by retired basketball star Magic Johnson on an endorsement deal. Agassi and 24 Hour Fitness, which has 310 centers nationwide, including 14 in Las Vegas, began negotiating his endorsement deal last year.
The new Agassi-branded center has 4,000 members and there are 100,000 members across the city, said Mark Mastrov, chief executive of the company.
Mastrov did not disclose the financial arrangements of the deal with Agassi, which includes the use of his likeness in displays throughout the center.
"We look at Andre Agassi as an ambassador to fitness," Mastrov said. "Partnering with him will allow us to continue to reach out and inspire people to lead a healthier lifestyle."
Ironically, the Agassi 24 Hour Fitness has no tennis courts.
But Agassi looks at his association with the club as a reflection of his outlook toward fitness.
"It's a bit more than putting my name on it," Agassi said. "Fitness has been a crucial part of my success. I believe through my experience in working out in many gyms across this world, from continent to continent, from week to week, that 24 Hour Fitness brings the message of fitness and exercise to a person's life. It's not about joining a club, it's about getting outside and going for a walk."
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