Harrah's Reno

Harrah's Reno

Company type	Private
Industry	Casino, Hospitality
Founded	1937
Founder	William F. Harrah
Defunct	2020
Fate	Closed and sold for redevelopment
Headquarters	Reno , United States
Area served	Nevada
Owner	Madison Capital Group (current)

Harrah's Reno was a casino hotel located in downtown Reno, Nevada and marked the inaugural property of the Harrah's brand, established by William F. Harrah. Currently, the location is under the ownership of Madison Capital Group, based in Charlotte, which intends to transform the site into a mixed-use development named Revival.

History

William F. Harrah initially launched a bingo hall on October 29, 1937, though it closed by December of the same year. He subsequently reopened under the name Harrah's Plaza Tango, later rebranded as Harrah's Heart Tango, situated between Virginia and Center streets within Reno’s casino district. Over time, Harrah expanded his holdings by acquiring adjacent casino properties.

In 1968, Harrah purchased The Reno Golden Hotel and commissioned architect Martin Stern Jr. to construct a 24-story upscale hotel tower on the former Grand Hotel site, which debuted in 1969. Holiday Inn contributed a 100-room tower addition in 1981. Further expansion included acquiring neighboring establishments such as Pick Hobson's Frontier Club in 1956 and other buildings across Lincoln Alley and Center Street. By the mid-1980s, Harrah's operated across three casino floors featuring over 2,000 slot machines. The facility offered 105 table games, a dedicated 12-table poker room, and a sportsbook.

The showroom at Harrah's attracted prominent performers including Frank Sinatra, Wayne Newton, and Joan Rivers. Following Sammy Davis Jr.'s passing in 1991, the venue was renamed Sammy's Showroom and showcased artists like Tony Bennett and Rich Little. The final headline act appeared in 2004.

In 1995, Harrah's Entertainment separated from Promus Hotel Company (formerly Holiday Inn) and developed a sizable Hampton Inn adjacent to the casino with direct access to gaming areas. Both establishments temporarily ceased operations during the 1997 Nevada floods. After Hilton acquired Promus in 1999, Harrah's bought the Hampton Inn tower, integrating its 400 rooms into their hotel inventory. That same year, Harrah's also acquired and demolished the aging Nevada Club and Harold's Club casinos to establish The Plaza outdoor entertainment space, which opened in 2000 with concerts featuring artists such as Ray Charles and Chuck Berry. Subsequent renovations included updates to the East Tower in 2003 and the West Tower between 2005 and 2006; additionally, Carvings Buffet launched in 2006 following a $6 million refurbishment.

At the start of 2011, management undertook refurbishments on worn sections and reintroduced "wall-wash" purple lighting on the exterior to reinforce brand visibility. Cafe Napa closed that year and was replaced by a Hash House a Go Go outlet.

On October 6, 2017, ownership shifted to Vici Properties through a corporate spin-off, with Caesars Entertainment continuing casino operations under lease. The East Tower underwent another renovation in 2018 aimed at attracting millennial guests by incorporating an adult-only arcade featuring pool tables, arcade basketball, air hockey, and video games.

Reno City Center

In January 2020, Caesars and Vici announced plans to sell Harrah's Reno to CAI Investments, a real estate firm based in Las Vegas. CAI intended to close the casino-hotel and redevelop it into a non-gaming hotel combined with mixed-use facilities. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown orders in March 2020, Harrah's Reno ceased operations. By June of that year, Caesars confirmed it would remain closed permanently. The transaction closed in September 2020 for $41.5 million; Vici received a 75% share while Caesars retained 25%. CAI rebranded the initiative as Reno City Center with plans for constructing 540 residential units.

Construction commenced in 2023 with over thirty active permits but encountered several delays. Clear Capital withdrew $20 million funding from the project, halting courtyard development. Conflicts between Fine Entertainment and the Reno City Council regarding slot machine approvals further impeded progress; after receiving prior approval from the Nevada Gaming Commission, the council authorized installation of 197 slot machines in September 2023. Additional setbacks arose due to asbestos removal requirements.

In January 2024, a notice of default amounting to $104.4 million was filed against the property; this followed an earlier default notice from June 2023 that had been resolved through negotiations with lenders. On February 16, 2024, Gryphon Private Wealth Management’s Reno City Center Owner (RCCO) LLC initiated Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings.

Nevertheless, on February 26, 2025, a U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge dismissed the bankruptcy case after Gryphon-RCCO met a February 28 deadline by paying lenders $37.5 million to prevent foreclosure.