Visitreno

[JD]

Either I'm way ahead, or way behind news that Terribles (Sands in Reno, Terribles in Dayton and Gold RANCH casinos have been bought by a "Truckee River Gaming".

So I'm going to guess card points disappear, and money that could go to upgrades or payouts ... will go to new signs, logos and menu prices.

Blazin Sevens Dude.... sounds like an opening for a graphic designer.

Oh...My source: The Virginia City News: http://virginiacitynews.com/
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Szony is head of Truckee River Gaming, which bought Terrible’s Dayton along with the Sands Regency and Gold Ranch Casinos for $19.2 million from Las Vegas-based Affinity Gaming.

“Reno is home, and it always has been,” Szony told Northern Nevada Business Weekly last year. “I am looking forward to getting back to northern Nevada.”

Szony has been a casino executive in Northern Nevada since the 1980s,, running not just the Dayton Depot, but the Sands Regency in Reno as well.

He also worked for Hilton Hotels Corp. and Sands regent.

Szony told Northern Nevada Business Weekly that local management groups can handle the Reno-Sparks market and can affect change much more quickly than large corporations.

[Mammothgambler]

Thanks JD, I'll have to investigate - although I've already been turned down by the marketing departments at both the Silver Legacy and the GSR for not having any previous casino marketing graphic design experience, I'm not giving up!

Jeez, is it just me, or have these Terrible's properties switched alot of hands over the past several years? During a recent visit to The Sands, I encountered a drainpipe in the restroom that had three different ownership/id stickers on it: "Property of The Sands." "Property of Herbst Gaming." "Property of Affinity Gaming LLC."

I guess there will be four now, along with my Sands Bonus Beach Club card, my property-wide Terrible's Club card, and my A-Play card. I wonder what they'll call it this round?

Mammothgambler

[JD]

Blazing Sevens Dude:

I don't know "Ferenc Szony" but he has had his fingerprints all over each of those "changes in management".

His resume is a carbon copy of each of those changes in "ownership".

But if you click that link to the VC News, that sign on the Dayton Casino which USED TO HAVE the mustache guy logo, needs an upgrade. Worst signage EVER!

"GOLD RANCH" brand needs to differentiate itself from all the other "GOLD...." something casinos like Gold Dust West. Sounds like a job for a logo designer to me. And when a casino name changes, EVERYTHING in the casino has to change... Menus, soap, business cards, ads, hotel receipts, shampoo bottles, chips, matches...

I have my theories on these name changes which I'll keep to myself ... at least on line. But LOTS of work for a graphic designer each time the boss wants to "re brand".

[CaSwede]

The odd thing about the purchase of these casinos is that they did not buy Rail City in Sparks. I had read somewhere that Rail City was the only one of all their Northern Nevada casinos making money. So.....they sold all the losers.

I like to stop in at the Gold Ranch and get their cheap breakfast. I am amazed that place can stay open as they never seem to have very many customers.......except for the cheap guys like me.

[spdmrcht]

[CaSwede]

Good? Who said anything about good? My criteria is cheap! The Gold Ranch breakfast is $2.99. I believe the CN one is $4.99.

No contest.

[spdmrcht]

2.99 bet that don't take long to cook or eat? almost fast food,
do you use the driveup window? LOL

[Mammothgambler]

Hi everyone!

Just a quick addendum to this thread. I stopped in The Sands this afternoon on the way back from downtown, as I was curious to see what new information they had about their players club since the ownership switch.

In my eye, this has gotta be the most cheeseball of 'em all. I went to the player's club desk and the scenario went something like this:

"Hi, I heard you all recently switched ownership again. Are you by chance still honoring the A-Play card, or is there yet another one?"

"Oh, no, we have a complete new system, and all old cards and points are null and void. Welcome to MY PARTY!"

So here it is! The most ghetto-licious campaign I've ever seen: THE MY PARTY CLUB!



Apparently, they start you off at zero at the "Party Crasher" level. I won a prize of 500 points playing the Free Spin game, and they mentioned you have to obtain at least 1,600 points to start getting comps and free play. There's other levels too, such as "Top Dog," "Party Pooper" (or something like that), etc. I was at least hoping for a little introductory free play or something on that order, but no such luck!

I think I mentioned it in a previous post, but I haven't played at The Sands since I got stuck in Reno for an extra night returning from Australia back in 2009. Since then, it appears they don't even have any Wheel of Fortunes in there anymore, just the multiliners, and those few random nickel Red White and Blues scattered about that have been there forever. That's it, that's all. Pretty mindblowing that they can have this many ownership switches and still no new machines or revamps throughout the casino (although I did hear that they have some nice new royal blue throw blankets in the rooms.)

Now, on the other hand, over at the Gold Dust West, which I haven't been in since around 2005, mainly because of their lack of traditional 3 reels, once again, a brand new program, and a brand new card. But, at least they're being generous. $5 of free play as a newcomer, in addition to another $40 of free play for the entire month of April. That's a little bit more like it!



My $5 of free play got me about $3.50 in a 90 credit penny Triple Stars, so no complaints here.

PARTY ON! And jeez, Sands, at least get your website updated!

Mammothgambler

[LilyJDragonfly]

I thought for a brief moment that the "Party Crasher" card was a mockup for them done by you as a joke.... oh my!

I've not headed down to the Sands in any of our ventures, though this Party Crasher/My Party concept really seems to be sticking in my head as a definite place to... well, I'm not sure, but if I was bit more of a social anthropologist, I know that place would be a hotbed for research!

[Mammothgambler]

Absolutely, LilyJ! I thought it was a joke too!

OK, I have yet ANOTHER tidbit of information regarding the transition between the APlay Club and the My Party Club, that I just found out about yesterday by pure accident!

I went over to the Nugget (in Sparks) for the swipe and win and an Awful Awful burger at Rosie's Café. We wound up staying here last week (also by pure accident - see upcoming trip report!) Anyhow, something told me to go check out Rail City just down the street, as I had never been inside.

I usually sign up and get a card at every casino I visit, whether I play there or not. I didn't realize it right off the bat, but the slot club rep told me that they are still using the APlay Card, which, in my situation, contained all points generated from the Sands Beach Bonus Club, the property-wide Terrible's Club, and maybe just a few cents on the A Play Card when we first moved here! So, I guess I lucked out - 1600 points intact, in addition to a whole whopping $60 in comps. I used to play like a bandit at the Terrible's in Las Vegas, so that's probably what did it.

I took it upon myself to go back to The Sands to ask why or why not those points and comps didn't transfer to "Their Party?" Got some lame response that it depended on where they were generated, which most likely wasn't at The Sands.

So, long story short: Looks like I finally get a chance to check out the Ale House and other couple of restaurants at Rail City. Truly glad those points didn't go to waste! I'd urge everyone that ever played at any Terrible's property to investigate this, because chances are, your points are still valid at Rail City!

Mammothgambler