|
|
|
"Entering the Nevada Club from Fremont Street is like going into another world. Bells clang, slot machines pour out coins with a steady clatter and an announcer suspended in a booth near the ceiling calls out jackpots constantly. The bells, ring ring at least once every fifteen minutes, mean players can win twice as much money on all jackpots. Nevada Club employees themselves are aided by the bells. "It helps keep up enthusiasm," one floorman said. "It also helps eliminate clock watchers." |
|
The current happy situation for employees and players did not come about by chance, however. It took a lot of hard work on the part of the modest staff of 15 to open the club in December of 1952 and Robert Van Santen, the major stockholder, was elated to have 40 slot machines in operation. |
|
The original club which is now the central portion of the Nevada Club was known as the Fortune Club. Three years later the room to the east was added and in 1957 the former Western Union building adjoining on the west was purchased for $300,000. In July 1957 the three clubs were combined as the Nevada Club under one 75-foot marquee and the name Fortune Club was dropped and rights to it released. |
|
Since 1957 new construction and remodeling have continued and in February of this year a new dining room and coffee shop opened. The smart second floor restaurant was designed to create a favorite meeting place for tourists and local patrons. |
|
The Nevada Club is responsible for many ideas which have since become accepted throughout the state...first "three bar in any position" machine...first side by side "twin machine"...first with initialed souvenir keychains...first with "double time" every fifteen minutes, and many others. |
|
Last month the Nevada Club opened it's new show room and "Les Girls de Paris" was presented for the first time. The show is completely different from anything the club has ever done and is the beginning of a new form of downtown "Casino Center" entertainment. |
| The club employs 500 people and pays $1,5000,000.00 in salaries each year. In addition it has a profit sharing plan - the first of it's type in a Nevada casino operation. The Nevada Club also boasts a 100% employee participation in the United Fund." |
|
The article above is from "This is Las Vegas" July 1961 |