CasaBlanca Resort

CasaBlanca Resort is a destination hotel and casino in Mesquite, Nevada, combining lodging, gaming, golf, events, dining, spa facilities, timeshare accommodation, and an RV park. The property opened in 1995 as Players Island, a tropical-island-themed resort developed by Players International. It was the company’s first major land-based casino project after operating primarily riverboat casinos. The resort was built on approximately 42 acres of land that had previously been used for farming and was intended to attract visitors from Las Vegas, Utah, and motorists traveling along Interstate 15. Players Island opened informally on June 29, 1995, ahead of its public grand-opening ceremony on July 28. The original property contained a large hotel, a roughly 40,000-square-foot casino, restaurants, convention facilities, a spa, tennis courts, and an RV park. Its gaming floor initially included hundreds of slot machines, table games, a sportsbook, and keno. The property also introduced several casino games to the local market, including mini-baccarat, Caribbean stud poker, and pai gow poker. A family-oriented theater production, Island Fever, opened in the Bali Hai Theater in August 1995, followed by a magic show the next year. The resort’s initial positioning proved difficult to sustain. Although it attracted its intended clientele during its early months, occupancy weakened, and the Mesquite market was regarded as overbuilt. Observers also considered the property relatively upscale for a community whose visitors included interstate travelers. Players International therefore sought to sell the resort. Randy Black Sr., owner of the nearby Virgin River resort, reached an agreement to acquire it in 1997. The transaction was completed in June of that year for a reported $30.5 million, substantially below the original development cost. The property was renamed CasaBlanca, with the new name taking effect on July 1, 1997. Under the CasaBlanca name, the resort expanded its accommodation offering with timeshare units in 2001 and developed a broader identity as a regional leisure and entertainment venue. Its facilities have included the CasaBlanca Golf Club, a par-72 course of approximately 7,011 yards designed by Cal Olson, and the nearby Palms Golf Club. The CasaBlanca Event Center has hosted boxing competitions, pageants, food events, concerts, and festivals. The property has also been associated with the Golden Gloves junior boxing competitions, the Miss Nevada pageant, and the Smokin’ in Mesquite barbecue competition. The resort’s hotel inventory was reported at 472 rooms in the 2010 period, alongside 24 timeshare units operated as the CasaBlanca Vacation Club and a 45-space RV park. In 2011, financial difficulties affecting Randy Black led to bankruptcy proceedings and the creation of Mesquite Gaming to take over his properties, including CasaBlanca. Mesquite Gaming has described the resort as a major local employer. CasaBlanca markets itself with the phrase “Like Vegas used to be,” emphasizing a traditional casino-resort experience rather than the large-scale metropolitan profile of the Las Vegas Strip. Its present brand scope remains centered on regional gaming, lodging, golf, conventions, events, and road-trip tourism in southern Nevada.

The site of CasaBlanca Resort was formerly farmland owned by Bryan Hafen. In May 1994, Hafen sold the property to Players International, which announced plans the following month for a hotel-casino. Players International had previously concentrated on riverboat gaming, making the Mesquite project a significant move into a large land-based resort. Construction began during the third quarter of 1994, and the nine-story hotel was structurally completed in early 1995. Entertainment producer Merv Griffin held a minority interest in Players International and was involved in plans for a theatrical production at the new resort. The property opened ahead of schedule as Players Island on June 29, 1995, in an unadvertised trial opening intended to identify operational problems. Several hundred visitors attended despite the limited publicity. A formal grand opening followed on July 28. Players Island was Mesquite’s third resort after the Oasis and Virgin River. Its tropical theme used pink exterior colors, lawns, fountains, waterfalls, and palm trees. The original development cost was reported at approximately $80 million, and the company projected employment of as many as 900 people. Expansion plans contemplated a much larger hotel inventory, but those ambitions were not realized in their original form. At opening, the resort contained approximately 486 hotel rooms and a 40,000-square-foot casino with about 850 slot machines, 29 table games, a sportsbook, and keno. It also offered restaurants, convention space, a spa, tennis facilities, and an RV park. The Bali Hai Theater introduced Island Fever, a 90-minute family-oriented production, in August 1995. A magic show was added in July 1996. The property’s golf course was built on land south of the resort that had formerly been an alfalfa field. Designed by Cal Olson and located beside the Virgin River, it opened in October 1996 as the Players Island course and later became the CasaBlanca Golf Club. The resort initially targeted residents of Las Vegas and Utah, later extending marketing into Colorado and Southern California. Its early popularity did not translate into stable financial performance. Average occupancy remained below the level needed to fill most rooms, and the resort eventually offered complimentary rooms to residents of Las Vegas and Salt Lake City. Gaming-industry observers considered the Mesquite resort market overbuilt. They also viewed Players Island’s spa and golf amenities as too upscale for some of the city’s interstate-oriented traffic. Players International announced a preliminary sale agreement with Randy Black Sr. in January 1997. Black owned the Virgin River resort and had previously attempted to acquire Players Island. Other potential buyers reportedly included Harrah’s Entertainment and the comedian Gallagher, but the transaction timetable made financing difficult for competing bidders. Players International ultimately agreed in March to sell the property to Black for $30.5 million. The sale closed in June, and the name change to CasaBlanca became effective July 1, 1997. The renamed resort broadened its leisure and entertainment role. Fifteen timeshare units were added in 2001, and later descriptions identified 24 timeshare units forming the CasaBlanca Vacation Club. The property’s event facilities hosted pageants, music festivals, boxing, and food competitions. Since 2008, the CasaBlanca Event Center has been associated with Golden Gloves junior boxing competitions. The resort has also hosted the Miss Nevada pageant and the Smokin’ in Mesquite barbecue competition. A serious criminal incident occurred at the RV park in January 2003, when three-year-old Kristyanna Cowan was murdered. The resort later agreed to a $5.5 million payment to a surviving victim of the attack. Separately, the property’s name was coincidentally shared with Operation Casablanca, a 1998 federal money-laundering investigation. Investigators had selected that operation name before the resort adopted the CasaBlanca name, and the two were not connected by branding or ownership. By 2010, the hotel was described as having 472 rooms, 24 timeshare units, and a 45-space RV park. Randy Black filed for bankruptcy in 2011, after which Mesquite Gaming was formed to assume control of his properties, including CasaBlanca. The resort continues to operate as a regional destination centered on casino gaming, lodging, golf, events, RV travel, and the “Like Vegas used to be” brand promise.

• 2011

  Mesquite Gaming assumes property operations

  [1]CasaBlanca Resorten.wikipedia.org

  Mesquite Gaming was formed following Randy Black’s bankruptcy filing and took over CasaBlanca among other properties.

• 2008

  Event-center boxing program begins

  [1]CasaBlanca Resorten.wikipedia.org

  The CasaBlanca Event Center began hosting Golden Gloves junior boxing competitions.

• 2001

  Timeshare units added

  [1]CasaBlanca Resorten.wikipedia.org

  The resort expanded its accommodation model with timeshare units.

• 1997

  Property becomes CasaBlanca

  [1]CasaBlanca Resorten.wikipedia.org

  Randy Black Sr. completed the acquisition and renamed Players Island CasaBlanca.

• 1996

  Golf course opens

  [1]CasaBlanca Resorten.wikipedia.org

  The course later known as CasaBlanca Golf Club opened south of the resort.

• 1995

  Players Island opens

  [1]CasaBlanca Resorten.wikipedia.org

  The resort began operations in June and held its formal grand opening in July under the Players Island name.

• 1994

  Players International acquires the site

  [1]CasaBlanca Resorten.wikipedia.org

  Players International purchased former farmland in Mesquite and announced plans for a hotel-casino.

A regional Nevada casino resort positioned around traditional gaming, affordable leisure travel, golf, live events, and a classic Las Vegas-style atmosphere.

• Casino gaming · 1995

  CasaBlanca Casino

  The resort’s casino is the central gaming component of the property. At the original Players Island opening, the casino included slot machines, table games, a sportsbook, and keno, with games such as mini-baccarat, Caribbean stud poker, and pai gow poker among the offerings introduced to the local market.

• Hospitality · 1995

  Hotel and resort accommodation

  CasaBlanca provides hotel accommodation as part of its integrated casino-resort model. The property originally opened with approximately 486 rooms and was later described as having 472 rooms, supplemented by timeshare units and an RV park.

• Golf · 1996

  CasaBlanca Golf Club

  CasaBlanca Golf Club is a par-72 course of approximately 7,011 yards located south of the resort beside the Virgin River. Designed by Cal Olson, it was developed on land formerly used as an alfalfa field and opened in 1996 under the Players Island identity.

• Golf

  Palms Golf Club

  The resort also operates the nearby Palms Golf Club, extending CasaBlanca’s golf offering beyond its primary course.

• Events and entertainment

  CasaBlanca Event Center

  The Event Center supports community, sporting, cultural, and entertainment programming. Reported events have included Golden Gloves junior boxing, the Miss Nevada pageant, the Smokin’ in Mesquite barbecue competition, music festivals, and other shows.

• Timeshare · 2001

  CasaBlanca Vacation Club

  CasaBlanca Vacation Club represents the resort’s timeshare accommodation component. Timeshare units were added in 2001, and later property descriptions identified 24 units associated with the club.

• RV accommodation · 1995

  CasaBlanca RV Park

  The RV park provides vehicle-based accommodation within the resort complex. Later descriptions identify 45 spaces, making it an important part of CasaBlanca’s appeal to Interstate 15 travelers and regional leisure visitors.

• 2003

  Murder at the CasaBlanca RV park

  Three-year-old Kristyanna Cowan was murdered at the resort’s RV park in January 2003. CasaBlanca later agreed to pay $5.5 million to a surviving victim of the attack.

  Source

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• 2011

  Transfer to Mesquite GamingOther

  Background

  Randy Black filed for bankruptcy, affecting the ownership structure of his resort properties.

  Action taken

  Mesquite Gaming was formed to take over Black’s properties, including CasaBlanca.

  Aftermath

  CasaBlanca continued operating as part of Mesquite Gaming’s Mesquite resort portfolio.

  Source

• 1997

  Sale and renaming of Players IslandM&A

  Background

  Players Island experienced weak financial performance and insufficient room occupancy in a Mesquite market considered overbuilt.

  Action taken

  Players International sold the resort to Randy Black Sr. for a reported $30.5 million, and Black changed its name to CasaBlanca.

  Aftermath

  The property continued operating as a broader regional casino, lodging, golf, and events destination under the CasaBlanca identity.

  Reported sale price. $30.5 million (1997)

  Source

1. 1CasaBlanca Resorten.wikipedia.org