Posted on: April 19, 2024, 10:34h.
Last updated on: April 19, 2024, 12:54h.
The Eureka Casino Resort in Mesquite this week began a $40 million overhaul of the property in the Nevada-Arizona border town.
Eureka Executive Chairman Greg Lee said work is underway on renovating all 212 hotel guestrooms and the roughly 40,300-square-foot casino floor. The resort’s hotel and casino are in unconnected structures separated by a parking lot.
Lee says the employee-owned company, which additionally owns and operates the Rising Star Sports Ranch in Mesquite, Eureka Casino in Las Vegas, and The Brook in New Hampshire, is spending about $40 million on the hotel and casino makeover.
The renovation project additionally includes refreshing the casino’s four restaurants. Work began with Gregory’s Mesquite Grill, the casino’s fine-dining steakhouse.
Employee Future
Lee’s parents opened Eureka in 1997 to cater to gamblers in Arizona and Utah. Mesquite has grown considerably since the casino opened and is today a popular escape for Las Vegas area residents.
Mesquite has grown and changed a lot since my parents and I built this,” Lee said. “We want Eureka to grow and change with it. I believe Mesquite is one of the top residential communities in the Southwest and I want to be sure Eureka looks like and captivates the greatness and authenticity of this community.”
Lee’s family sold Eureka to its employees in 2015, which makes it Nevada’s only 100% employee-owned casino company. Lee says the $40 million investment is only the beginning of a revitalization of the property.
After the hotel and casino updates are complete, Lee says the company will focus on expanding the destination’s footprint with mixed-use offerings, including residential units and retail shopping.
Eureka Casino Resort CEO Andre Carrier said the goal is to update the property while retaining its charm.
This is an investment in the guest experience,” Carrier noted. “Eureka is blessed to have many longtime guests who call us home. For them, we’ll be sure not to change the essence of the Eureka experience. These improvements will make visiting Eureka even more fun and enjoyable.”
The mixed-use development will be built on what’s currently vacant land behind the casino building. The plan is to build apartments and condominiums, some of which will be used for employee housing.
Lee and Carrier say the housing and retail undertaking could cost as much as $60 million. The plan is in the early stages, and local approvals for the project haven’t yet been secured.
Mesquite Gaming Market
According to the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB), Mesquite casinos generated gross gaming revenue (GGR) of about $183.6 million last year, a 0.5% gain from 2022. Mesquite’s gaming market has grown considerably over the decades.
In 2019, Mesquite casinos won $136.7 million. In 2009, casino win in the border town totaled $120.1 million, meaning the market grew nearly 53% over the past 14 years.
Eureka’s current casino space houses nearly 1,000 slot machines, 26 live dealer table games, and a William Hill Sportsbook. The hotel features a 24-hour business center, an outdoor pool, and a flexible ballroom capable of hosting up to 150 guests. The nearby Rising Star has larger meeting capabilities with 30,000 square feet of space.
Eureka has partnerships in place with several nearby golf courses, including Wolf Creek, ranked fifth-best in the state by Golf Digest.
