By Robin Priestley
The Golden Nugget Hotel opened in 1946 and is one of
Las Vegas's oldest casinos. Besides winning AAA's Four Diamond Rating every year from 1977 up to 2008, the hotel is also home to the world's largest gold nugget on display.
The Early Years
The Golden Nugget Hotel was built by Guy McAfee, an ex-vice detective from California. It was based upon the original Golden Nugget Hotel in San Francisco. The grand opening was held on August 30, 1946, where it was proclaimed the world's largest casino.
The Golden Year of 1968
In 1968, the largest single prize ever of $10,000 was awarded in the Golden Give-Away Contest.
Steve Wynn
By 1973, Steve Wynn had bought controlling stock in the Golden Nugget, and became Las Vegas's youngest casino owner. It was under his direction that the hotel began being honored by AAA's Four Diamond Rating. The Golden Nugget began Wynn's climb up the casino ladder of prominence in Las Vegas.
The Hand of Faith
The largest gold nugget on display is The Hand of Faith, which is housed in the Golden Nugget Hotel lobby. It was purchased from Kevin Hillier in 1980, who discovered it in Australia while using a metal detector. The nugget weighs in at 875 troy ounces.
Sold and Sold Again
Wynn sold the property in 2004 to Poster Financial Group. Next, Landry's Restaurants, of Houston, bought Golden Nugget in 2005. The hotel then underwent a $100 million renovation in order to expand the resort and increase entertainment, event and dining options.
Hollywood Scene
The Golden Nugget has been featured in movies and TV shows. Some of the better known ones include James Bond's "Diamonds Are Forever," Fox's TV series "The Casino," which was based on the Poster Group, along with Nintendo Games, and a video by the music group U2 featuring its famous cowboy on the gift shop sign.
Resources
About the Author:
Robin Priestley has been a freelance writer for over 20 years, with additional newspaper experience. She has been published in The Los Alamos Monitor, Devo'Zine, The Upper Room, and Discipleship Journal, as well as online.
