Station Casinos will launch a new brand of small gaming establishments, beginning with the opening of a tavern in North Las Vegas next month.
The new brand’s first location, Seventy Six by Station Casinos, is scheduled to open in late September at North Lamb Boulevard and East Centennial Parkway. Two more locations are scheduled to open in January: at Kyle Canyon near US 95 and on Aliante Parkway across from rival Boyd Gaming’s Aliante hotel-casino.
“We’re always looking for ways to bring our products closer to our customers, and the tavern business is a natural extension of what we’re already doing,” said Scott Kreeger, president of Station Casinos. “We can grow in our large stores, our mid-sized operations and also in the taverns.”
Taverns are subject to limited gaming licenses that allow operators to operate 15 or fewer machines on a bar-restaurant property. Station Casinos’ licensing was recommended for approval by the Nevada Gaming Control Board on Wednesday. Final approval of the license by the Nevada Gaming Commission is scheduled for Aug. 22.
Station officials told board members on Wednesday that a total of seven Seventy Six taverns are in the development pipeline and will be completed by the end of 2025. More taverns will be added as market conditions permit.
Red Rock Resorts, the parent company of the local gaming operator, already operates several limited gaming facilities under the Wildfire brand, but most of them are above the 15-machine limit because they are grandfathered in. Kreeger said the new tavern brand is a different product with a name that has a double meaning.
“In 1976, Frank Fertitta founded the company with the opening of Bingo Palace,” he said. “It was also the 200th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, so it’s a nod to the Fertitta family lineage and an opportunity to create a brand based on an Americana theme.”
The tavern’s restaurant menu is overseen by executive chef Danny Wilkins, according to the company. The menu includes ahi tuna nachos, fried street corn tacos, ribeye panini dip, creamy poblano chicken pasta, a cowboy burger and more.
The company first publicly announced its expansion plans, including the signing of contracts for four more locations, during its first-quarter earnings call this year. Vice President Lorenzo Fertitta told Wall Street investors that Red Rock has identified the sub-industry, which is dominated by a younger player interested in watching and betting on sports, as healthy and with good development opportunities.
“What we call the smaller property seems to be very healthy and consistent and actually growing,” Fertitta said during the May conference call. “So as a sign relative (to market health), it’s a very local market, but from an operational standpoint, it’s doing very well.”
Kreeger said the taverns also provide Red Rock with an opportunity to expand its Boarding Pass loyalty program and reach more sports bettors through STN Sports. The tavern brand also plans a VIP players club with special promotions for the taverns.
Contact McKenna Ross at [email protected]. Follow @mckenna_ross_ on X.
