{{Short description|Casino hotel in Nevada, United States}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Infobox casino |name=Laughlin River Lodge |logo=Laughlin River Lodge logo.png |logo_size=120 |image=Laughlin River Lodge.jpg |caption=The property as seen from the Colorado River in 2018 |location=Laughlin, Nevada, U.S. |address=2700 South Casino Drive |date_opened={{Start date and age|1984}} |theme=Rustic lodge |rooms=1,000 |space_gaming={{convert|41000|sqft|abbr=on}} |shows= |attractions= |notable_restaurants=None |owner=Richard Craig Estey<br>{{small|(Nevada Restaurant Services)}} |names_pre=Sam's Town Gold River (1984–1991)<br>Gold River (1991–1998)<br>River Palms (1998–2014) |renovations=1990, 1998, 1999, 2014 |website={{URL|laughlinriverlodge.com}} }} The '''Laughlin River Lodge''' (formerly '''Sam's Town Gold River''', '''Gold River''' and '''River Palms''') is a hotel and casino on the banks of the Colorado River in Laughlin, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Richard Craig Estey (Nevada Restaurant Services). The property includes a {{convert|41000|sqft|abbr=on}} casino and 1,000 hotel rooms in a 25-story tower.<ref>{{cite report|url=http://gaming.nv.gov/modules/showdocument.aspx?documentid=3428|title=Nonrestricted Square Footage Report|date=March 6, 2018|publisher=Nevada Gaming Control Board|accessdate=September 10, 2018}}</ref> The resort has 653 slot machines and a bingo parlor.<ref>{{cite report|title=Nonrestricted Count Report|publisher=Nevada Gaming Control Board|date=June 30, 2018|url=https://gaming.nv.gov/modules/showdocument.aspx?documentid=13383|accessdate=September 10, 2018}}</ref>
==History== thumb|The River Palms as seen in 2008 The resort was created by Las Vegas real estate developer John Midby.<ref name=edgar>{{cite report|url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/845609/0000845609-97-000031.txt|title=Form 10-K|date=October 14, 1997|publisher=Gold River Hotel & Casino Corp.|accessdate=March 21, 2012}}</ref> It opened in 1984 as Sam's Town Gold River, later shortened to Gold River. A 25-story, 778-room hotel tower was opened in May 1990,<ref name="edgar" /> and the gaming facilities were also expanded.<ref>{{cite news |title=Sam's Town strikes it rich with new tower |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/101422168/ |work=San Bernardino County Sun |date=June 22, 1990 |accessdate=March 6, 2021 |via=Newspapers.com |url-access=subscription}}</ref> Boyd Gaming operated the property until their contract was ended in March 1991.<ref>{{cite news|title=Laughlin resort may lose permits due to lack of financing|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=tqtPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=xFIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6930%2C3719901|date=January 31, 1991|newspaper=Kingman Daily Miner|agency=Associated Press|accessdate=March 21, 2012}}</ref>
Gold River filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 1996.<ref name="edgar" /> Businessman Allen Paulson took ownership of the reorganized company a year later, having paid an estimated $28 million for the property's $90 million in debt.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/1997/Sep-11-Thu-1997/business/6039800.html |title=Gold River names president and COO |date=October 16, 1997 |newspaper=Las Vegas Review-Journal |accessdate=March 21, 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20041109235133/http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/1997/Sep-11-Thu-1997/business/6039800.html |archivedate=November 9, 2004 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Berns |first=Dave |url=http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/1997/Sep-11-Thu-1997/business/6039800.html |title=Paulson goes for Gold River |date=September 11, 1997 |newspaper=Las Vegas Review-Journal |accessdate=March 21, 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20041109235133/http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/1997/Sep-11-Thu-1997/business/6039800.html |archivedate=November 9, 2004 }}</ref> It was quietly renamed as the River Palms in June 1998 and held a grand opening that October.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=b6pPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=RVMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3238%2C272036|title=Gold River now called River Palms|date=July 1, 1998|newspaper=Kingman Daily Miner|accessdate=March 21, 2012}}</ref> The hotel underwent a major renovation in 1999.
Paulson died in 2000 and Columbia Sussex bought the property from his estate in 2004. After Columbia's gaming businesses went into bankruptcy, Tropicana Entertainment emerged in March 2010 with most of the company's casinos, including the River Palms.
In May 2013, Tropicana agreed to sell the River Palms for $7 million to M1 Gaming, owner of Boomtown Reno,<ref>{{cite news|last=O'Driscoll|first=Bill|url=http://www.rgj.com/article/20130501/BIZ04/130501017/Boomtown-owner-acquire-Laughlin-hotel-casino|title=Boomtown owner to acquire Laughlin hotel-casino|date=May 1, 2013|newspaper=Reno Gazette-Journal|accessdate=May 1, 2013}} {{subscription required}}</ref> but the sale never went through.<ref>{{cite news|last=O'Driscoll|first=Bill|url=http://www.rgj.com/article/20140309/BIZ04/303090028/|title=$20M boom: Upgrades mark 50 years of gaming at Boomtown|date=March 8, 2014|newspaper=Reno Gazette-Journal|accessdate=March 9, 2014}} {{subscription required}}</ref> In September 2014, Tropicana sold the River Palms for $6.75 million to Nevada Restaurant Services, and it was renamed as the Laughlin River Lodge.<ref>{{cite news|title=Agreement struck to sell River Palms|work=Laughlin Nevada Times|accessdate=July 6, 2014|date=July 2, 2014|url=http://www.mohavedailynews.com/laughlin_times/agreement-struck-to-sell-river-palms/article_30e1e87a-0234-11e4-9d68-0019bb2963f4.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=It’s official: River Palms is now the Laughlin River Lodge|newspaper=Mohave Daily News|author=Julie Fairman|date=September 24, 2014|url=http://www.mohavedailynews.com/laughlin_times/it-s-official-river-palms-is-now-the-laughlin-river/article_abe4dd5e-3892-11e4-badc-0019bb2963f4.html|accessdate=September 10, 2018}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist|33em}}
==External links== * {{Official website}} * {{Commons category-inline|Laughlin River Lodge}} {{coord|35.150563|-114.574844|type:landmark_globe:earth_region:US-NV|display=title}}
{{Laughlin casinos}}
Category:1984 establishments in Nevada Category:Casinos completed in 1984 Category:Casinos in Laughlin, Nevada Category:Hotel buildings completed in 1984 Category:Hotels established in 1984 Category:Hotels in Laughlin, Nevada Category:Resorts in Laughlin, Nevada Category:Casino hotels in Laughlin, Nevada