Sands casinos have ‚Terrible‘ new names

Sands Regency, Gold Ranch, Rail City and The Depot are getting „Terriblized“ under new ownership, officials said this week.

With Las Vegas-based Herbst Gaming Inc.’s USD 148 million buyout of the Sands Regent holdings complete, the Northern Nevada properties will be renamed in phases.

The names will be Terrible’s Rail City, Terrible’s Gold Ranch, Terrible’s Casino Dayton and Sands Regency, a Terrible’s casino, said Ferenc Szony, who maintained his position overseeing the Northern Nevada properties after serving as president of Sands.

Herbst runs a popular chain of Terrible Herbst casinos and gas stations in Southern Nevada.

„We are not jumping in real fast making dramatic changes,“ Szony said.

The USD 13.5 million expansion that began in June at Rail City in Sparks is continuing, and a new restaurant, the Ale House, should open in April, Szony said. „It will be a very different product than what Rail City was,“ Szony said.

The new brew pub will have craft beers brewed locally just for the casino, Szony said.

The Depot name will go away in Dayton as Terrible’s takes over, he said. That casino has been repainted on the exterior and is getting a new restaurant, and will be cross marketed with the other properties, he said.

Gold Ranch also will get a face lift down the road, but major remodels are unlikely in the short term, he said.

„We may hold off and do something more dramatic in the future,“ Szony said.

„At the Sands, we were in the midst of doing interior renovation when this transaction happened, and Herbst has been very enthusiastic about investing additional dollars into Sands,“ Szony said.

Tony Roma’s ribs restaurant at the Sands is being replaced with Fuzio, a contemporary pasta restaurant that serves both Asian and Italian fare. It is scheduled to open in April, Szony said.

Herbst executives told the Gaming Control Board they plan to keep the 1,100 employees at Sands in Northern Nevada.

Herbst also is buying three casinos from MGM Mirage Inc. for USD 400 million in the town of Primm on the Nevada-California state line south of Las Vegas.

The Whiskey Pete’s, Primm Valley and Buffalo Bill’s hotel-casinos have 2,644 guest rooms and 136,000 square feet of casino space off Interstate 15.

Three gas station-convenience stores and a mini-market are included.

MGM officials have said the sale allows the company to focus on its USD 7 billion Project CityCenter resort complex on the Las Vegas Strip.

The No. 1 California Lottery retailer is at Primm Valley, and No. 2 is at Gold Ranch, which puts both in Herbst’s control.