Casino Enterprise Management

Roll out the red carpet and grab your autograph book, because Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino is bringing a hunk of Hollywood to the center of the Strip. From the Extra! studios to a steakhouse with celebrity status, this is one premiere you do not want to miss.

Since 1971, lifelong friends Nat Carasali and Bill Paganetti have offered Reno and its visitors an escape from the everyday grind. The duo opened the Peppermill Coffee Shop and Lounge in the early ‘70s, and with every passing year, the property has become more and more well-refined. Explore the fine-ground design details that pepper the new additions.

With the first of its two towers nearing completion, Trump/Ruffin’s Trump International Hotel & Tower is almost ready to show its hand — and it’s doing so in true Las Vegas style. The official completion date is February 2008, but it’s clear that Trump has (literally) upped its already world-renowned class, opulence and style to create one of the most spectacular residential properties in Nevada.

When a project goes from the drawing board to reality, construction costs that were envisioned during the planning process often turn out to be unrealistic. The tremendous increase of construction in the lodging industry has put pressure on building costs at all levels. As construction costs continue to rise, the cost of steel, cement, glass, copper and other vital elements of construction, in particular, have soared.

Step inside a traditional casino in downtown Las Vegas and what do you see? More importantly, how do you feel? The atmosphere is gloomy; it is windowless, dark and smoky, and the customers are seemingly lethargic after spending hours on the same slot machine. The allure of these types of casinos is the prospect of winning money, not enjoying the surroundings. However, this traditional concept has begun to change, and Native American casino owners are picking up on it — and profiting.

Move over Motown, Detroit’s got a new player downtown. On Oct. 2, 2007, the MGM Grand Detroit — the only Detroit hotel, gaming and entertainment destination that’s 100 percent brand new from the ground up — took the automobile Mecca for the hottest ride of its life. MGM Grand Detroit’s 3.6 million square feet of pure luxury offers its guests top-notch entertainment, lavish accommodations, unrivaled amenities and unprecedented glamour.

After 10 long years of government talks, local opposition, land acquisition and thoughtful master planning, New Buffalo, Mich., is now home to the Four Winds Casino Resort. The property, owned by the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, features a 130,000-square-foot gaming floor, 3,000 slot machines, 100 table games, six restaurants, entertainment bars, retail venues and a 165-room hotel.

The Southern California gaming market has grown rapidly over the last few years. With new compacts in place, expansions are in the works and talks of new development seem to sprout up every month. The trouble is, with all of the new properties available, it’s getting harder and harder to tell them apart.

Iguazú Falls in Argentina could easily compete with the Seven Natural Wonders of the World — it has an earthly beauty and mystique like no other. There are some 275 separate waterfalls and cataracts that divide Iguazú Falls, lining the edge of the escarpment over which the Iguazú River plunges. And the beauty of the property of the Panoramic Hotel Iguazú mirrors its natural namesake.

Detroit’s MotorCity Casino has revved its engine and hit full throttle with the completion of the first phase of its $275 million renovation and expansion project, which opened to the public June 7. Locally owned by Detroit-area businesswoman Marian Ilitch, MotorCity Casino is the only 100 percent woman-owned casino in the United States.