Casino News
| Published On Mar 18, 2023 6:18 am CET | By iGaming Team

Affinity Gaming Sells Rail City Casino to Truckee Gaming

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Privately held casino and sports wagering company, Affinity Gaming, is selling Rail City Casino in Sparks, Nevada to Reno-based Truckee Gaming, which was formerly owned by the casino. The terms of the deal have not been disclosed, but the transaction is projected to be completed by the end of 2023, subject to Nevada regulatory approval. Affinity Gaming, formerly known as Herbst Gaming, had acquired Rail City Casino in 2011 after Herbst’s bankruptcy. Rail City Casino’s 24,000-square-foot casino offers 415 slot machines, a sportsbook, the William Hill Raceway, a keno parlor, and a restaurant that includes the Ale House American Cafe and a buffet.

Sparks’ gaming market growing

Sparks’ gaming income increased by 16.7% in 2022 to $14.2m compared to the previous year. The sale of Rail City Casino comes at a time when one of the largest casinos in Northern Nevada, the Nugget Casino Resort, is in the process of being sold to Century Casinos for $195m. Sparks also recently saw the opening of the $120m Legends Bay. “The region continues to grow with new housing and new businesses. The market dynamic and the growth in Sparks is good for all of us. Century is a great operator and Legends added to the market. The growth is big enough for all of us,” said Szony, the CEO of Truckee Gaming.

The Laughlin market is stable

Golden Entertainment’s Colorado Belle in Laughlin has been closed for almost three years. Gaming regulators demanded to know when it would open again during a recent licensing hearing for the new general manager of Golden Entertainment’s three casinos in Laughlin. Laughlin’s nine operating casinos and seven satellite sportsbooks generated $500.7m in gaming revenue in 2022, a 3% increase from 2021. This figure was still 2.2% below the pre-pandemic 2019 total of $512.2m. According to the Gaming Control Board, North Las Vegas and Laughlin are the only gaming markets across the state whose overall revenues have stayed below pre-pandemic profits.