It brought celebrity acts, almost like what you normally would see in Vegas, that started happening in Reno, and Harrah's was really the center of that. It was, really, the top casino for Harrah's, and especially in Reno. Stutz: Reno was really seen as the centerpiece for the Harrah's empire. Once Harrah's bought Caesars Entertainment, which at the time was really just several Caesars properties primarily in Las Vegas and Atlantic City, that really became the growing point for the company.Īli: What was the significance of the Harrah’s Reno location? They kind of went in separate directions. As gaming started expanding around the U.S., it became natural for Holiday Inn to utilize the Harrah’s name in different markets around the U.S., so that was kind of the fuel of their growth. Harrah passed away, Harrah’s merged for a while with the Holiday Inn Corporation.

It was the start of what really became one of the flagship companies in the gaming industry.Īli: How did the company grow to become one of the biggest gaming companies in the world? There are 17 Harrah's branded casinos in 11 states. He expanded it to a hotel-casino there, and it became the basis of the whole Harrah's chain.

It was the original place where Bill Harrah started his bingo parlor. Stutz: Harrah's Reno was the start of the whole Harrah's chain. When did Harrah's first open and what was it like back then? in 15 states.Īli: Take us back to the beginning in the 1930s. Harrah's is just part of, really, Caesars Entertainment's collection of casino properties throughout the U.S. Howard Stutz: I started in the late 1980s, covering the casino industry when it was really just Nevada and New Jersey, and then followed Harrah’s through all its changes, from when it bought Caesars Entertainment, then took on the name Caesars Entertainment. Olivia Ali: How long have you been covering Harrah’s and gaming in general? KUNR’s Olivia Ali spoke to longtime Nevada gaming reporter Howard Stutz to learn about this historic change to the landscape of downtown Reno. The iconic property was sold last year and will eventually become the Reno City Center, which will include apartments, dining and office spaces. Standing tall on North Center Street, Harrah’s Casino has been a staple in Reno’s gaming industry.

List of closed reno casinos