The casino owner’s surname was bestowed on the town when a U.S. Tri State eventually became the town of Laughlin, named for its visionary Don Laughlin. In 1966, the Riverside Resort opened and offered all-you-can-eat chicken dinners for 98 cents, play on 12 slot machines and two gaming tables, and accommodations that included a stay in one of the four of eight rooms –the Laughlin family occupied the other four rooms. Two years later, he paid $235,000 ($35,000 down) for the motel and six acres of river front property.

The area was vacant except for a boarded-up eight-room motel.

A Colorado River stretch of land called Tri State caught his attention. Fresh from a successful 10-year gaming venture in North Las Vegas, Don began scouting the rugged Mohave Desert in his private plane. It was in 1964 that the course of gaming history would change forever. Ready for new challenges, Don embarked on what would become an incredible journey. Ten years later he sold the place for $165,000. In 1954, he saved enough money to buy his own business, the 101 Club in North Las Vegas. He worked as a bartender by day and attended card and dice dealers school at night. When Congress passed the far-reaching Johnson Act in the early 1950’s which abolished slot machines and interstate shipment nationwide, Don moved to Las Vegas, then the only legal haven for such entertainment. While slot machines at that time were illegal, they were tolerated by local authorities. Don got out of school since he was making three times more than the principal. The young businessman was making $500 a week when his school principal gave him an ultimatum: get out of the slot business or get out of school. The profits he earned were shared with pub owners. With his profits earned from trapping mink and muskrat, he bought slot machines from a mail-order catalog and installed them in local pubs. He first found his gambling inspiration while growing up on a farm near Owatonna, Minnesota. An average high temperature of 87 degrees fahrenheit make a perfect climate for enjoying all the outdoor activities available in Laughlin.ĭon Laughlin’s affinity for gaming began when he was a child and ever since, he has lived a life destined for success.

Nearly 5 million annual visitors retreat to this desert oasis renowned for a seemingly endless list of activities–including fishing, boating, water skiing, golf, camping and hiking. The town of Laughlin has developed into a premier gaming destination and year-round playground. Along the banks of the Colorado River and nestled between surrounding majestic mountains, emerges the picturesque expanse named for gaming pioneer Don Laughlin.

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