Lucky Dragon gets nod from Nevada Gaming Commission

Oct 21, 2016 Newsdesk Latest News, Top of the deck, World  

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Asian-themed Lucky Dragon Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada, in the United States, has won final approval from the Nevada Gaming Commission.

The gaming commission unanimously approved a non-restricted licence for the property after hearing a report on the project on Thursday. The property (pictured in a rendering) is scheduled to open on December 3.

Lucky Dragon’s website says the property will have a nine-storey hotel with 203 rooms and suites, and 27,500 square feet (2,555 sq metres) of casino space.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal newspaper reported that the casino would have 40 table games and 300 slot machines. The tables will mostly be for baccarat and pai gow, popular with Asian players, added the media outlet.

The Las Vegas Sun newspaper quoted the general manager of Lucky Dragon, Matthew Harkness, as saying that the casino resort would focus on marketing to domestic Asian customers. “Only approximately 10 percent of the revenue will be coming from overseas customers,” Mr Harkness reportedly said.

Mr Harkness was asked by the Nevada Gaming Commission about the company’s plans to market the property to mainland China customers and on the use of junket operators. He said the company planned to collaborate with licensed junkets.

“Approved junkets. That is the process which I’m sure you’re familiar with and one we will follow. We will follow those rules. We have processes in place ensuring all those regulations and rules are followed,” said Mr Harkness, according to the Las Vegas Sun.

A group of 18 employees of casino operator Crown Resorts Ltd has been detained by mainland China authorities last week. Several media outlets have reported the detentions were for alleged gambling-related offences connected to marketing activities involving Crown Resorts properties.

In Thursday’s meeting, the Nevada Gaming Commission additionally gave approval for a few of Lucky Dragon’s key employees, including: Mr Harkness, as general manager; David Jacoby, as chief operating officer; and Shaza Sattar, as vice president of finance.

On December 2 – the day before Lucky Dragon is scheduled to open – China’s Hainan Airlines Co Ltd is to launch the first non-stop passenger aircraft service linking China’s capital Beijing and Las Vegas.

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