By Jeffrey V. Smith
The Riviera in the construction phase before being opened in February 2000. File photo.
The Riviera Black Hawk Casino “exceeded all expectations” when it opened Feb. 4, 2000, after years of work and development. The casino has a key location as one of the first casinos along Hwy. 119 when arriving in Black Hawk from Denver, and has been a favored property for more than a decade.
Back on March 4, 1997, the Riviera Casino entered into a letter of intent with Eagle Gaming, L.P., which had previously opened Harrah’s (today’s Canyon Casino) in Black Hawk on Dec. 24, 1993, to form Riviera Black Hawk, LLC and create a casino on a 71,000 square foot site, zoned entirely for gaming, which had been purchased by Eagle Gaming.
At the time, it was estimated the casino would have a budget of approximately $55 million, including the acquisition of land and the development of a casino building management believed at the time would be the largest casino in Colorado.
It wasn’t the biggest when the 300,000-square-foot facility finally opened in February 2000, and it came in at closer to $75 million to build, but it did feature the fourth largest number of gaming devices in the market with 885 slot machines and eight live gaming tables, parking spaces for 520 vehicles, a 252-seat casual buffet-styled restaurant, a delicatessen, casino bar, and a 490-seat ballroom, according to a company press release. Marketing plans included a “slot club,” which gave members various incentives to make repeat visits.
Then Casino President Ron Johnson reported, “The casino’s 1,000 slot machines were 95 percent occupied at all times over the weekend, and all table games were full,” while Bill Westerman, president and chief executive of Riviera Holdings, said his firm “selected wisely in choosing Colorado as the site of its first casino outside of Las Vegas.”
In 1998, William Westerman, chairman of the board and CEO of Riv at the time (who passed away in April 2010), and Ron Johnson, then executive vice president of gaming operations of Riviera, welcome the crowd and highlight the positive aspects of the new casino to Black Hawk at its grand opening. The casino finally opened in February 2000. File photo.
Initially casinos in the market were small, privately held gaming facilities whose inability to offer convenient parking and a full range of traditional casino amenities limited growth. The Riviera was one of the first to come into the city and offer convenient parking and the amenities of a larger casino even though it does not offer lodging.
The casino’s parent company hit a rough patch last year when Riviera Holdings Corp., in July 2010, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection along with Riviera Black Hawk Inc.
“We, like many others in the gaming industry, have been affected by the current economy,” a statement from Tullio Marchionne, Riviera’s secretary and general counsel, said. “However, both our Las Vegas and Black Hawk properties are generating positive free cash flow and this, combined with our cash balances, will help insure that we continue to pay all our operating costs… There will be no effect on our employees, vendors, and most importantly, our customers.”
The Riviera was opened at the start of 2000 and has remained virtually unchanged outside. It is one of the first casinos drivers heading from Denver see from Hwy. 119. Photo courtesy of Riviera Black Hawk.
No consequences have been seen and the casino is operating as usual. It specifically tailors its marketing strategies and promotions to the Black Hawk market and emphasizes quality food – at its famous Riviera Buffet and Creekside Deli – and friendly service. The casino says it relies on its strong repeat-customer market, as well as walk-in traffic generated from the nearby Isle and Lady Luck casinos. Additionally, the Riviera Players’ Club offers a wide variety of benefits that allow guests many ways to “Win At The Riv.”
The most profound “improvement” and change to gaming at the Riviera and all of Colorado came with the “long over-due passage of Amendment 50,” General Manager Nick Polcino said.
“Our customers are now able to enjoy 24 hour gaming, playing additional games like craps and roulette and they can make a wager that will actually put some excitement on the table. Amendment 50 allows us to offer our customers a gaming experience that they were begging for,” said Polcino, who’s been at the casino the last four years. “Our success is a direct result of our staff. I continue to be impressed with the outstanding service our employees give day in and day out. You can tell how much our staff enjoys their job by the relationships they’ve built with our customers over the years.”
The Riviera Casino, which employs about 260 workers, now offers a wide variety of “hot gaming action” including more than 750 slots, video poker, and table games and has consistently offered “top value gaming action with a personal touch.”
According to Polcino, “the future of the Riviera Black Hawk Casino is exciting. We’ve always offered our customers the best value and the most popular promotions. We’ve got some very fun and exciting things on the horizon, so keep your eye on The Riv.”
