Gaming Commission OKs licensing for Aliante Station

By Cy Ryan (contact)

Published Thursday, Oct. 23, 2008 | 12:06 p.m.

Updated Thursday, Oct. 23, 2008 | 12:40 p.m.

CARSON CITY – The Nevada Gaming Commission approved a license today for the of the Aliante Station casino.

The $662 million hotel-casino in North Las Vegas, near the Las Vegas Beltway, opens Nov. 11. It’s a joint venture between Stations Casinos and the Greenspun family, which owns the Las Vegas Sun.

The property will include a 202 room hotel, a 16-screen movie theater, a 3,300 car parking garage, a casino with 2,550 slot machines and 40 table games, showroom and numerous restaurants. A chandelier featuring 2,000 empty tequila bottles will be one of the attractions.

Commissioner Tony Alamo called the chandelier “very unique and I’m looking forward to seeing it.”

Under questioning, John Hasson, vice president and general manager, said about 35 percent of the 1,000 employees being hired come from other Station casinos where they were laid off.

Commissioner Sue Wagner said Station has had past problems with unions and wondered if that was the case at Aliante.

Scott M. Nielson, senior vice president, said there have been no troubles and the casino was built with union labor.

At Aliante Station, Frank J. Fertitta III and Brian L. Greenspun will be the executive committee.

Gaming Commission Chairman Peter Bernhard said the financial analysis shows the Aliante casino “will be able to handle debt service” and called it a “stable operation.”

This was the first time the commission conducted a video conference meeting, allowing the Station executives to appear in Las Vegas to address the commissioners in Carson City.

Hasson told the commission that the new casino is ten minutes from the Las Vegas Motor Speedway and he hopes that will be a draw. In addition there are more than 100,000 residents within a three-mile radius of the project.

The commission also unanimously approved the restructuring of several companies involving trusts for members of the Greenspun families. These companies are shareholders in the various gaming properties.

The commission granted licenses to Myra Greenspun, wife of Brian Greenspun, and Robin Greenspun, wife of Daniel Greenspun, under the new alignment of the trusts.

Cy Ryan may be reached at (775) 687-5032 or cy@lasvegassun.com.