HENDERSON, NV (FOX5) -
The Eldorado Casino in downtown Henderson is celebrating its golden anniversary.
The Eldorado opened July 1, 1962. It was the first joint venture for a father and son team that would become Boyd Gaming.
The casino had a celebration with cake and a champagne toast on Sunday. Longtime customers say it's the friendly service that keeps them coming back.
"It's a fun place to come, people are always friendly and the atmosphere is always nice," Howard Strong said.
When the casino opened in the early 60s, Henderson was home to only 12,000 people, and things were a lot less expensive.
"We had 5-cent coffee and (eventually) we raised it to 10 cents. I thought we'd have a revolt among most of our customers," Bill Boyd reminisced.
Over the years, many things have changed. Henderson is now home to 250,000 people, but the Eldorado has stayed the same. Managers credit employees for their success.
"Most of our customers will tell you, they come here because of the people... not because of the gambling or anything else. They can gamble anywhere, but they come here because they're treated right," Director of Operations Guido Metzger said.
The anniversary celebration lasts throughout 2012. The casino is having special contests and throwing back some prices to 1962, with 50-cent food and drink specials.
Boyd Gaming now owns and operates 17 gaming properties in Nevada and five other states.
Copyright 2012 KVVU (KVVU Broadcasting Corporation). All rights reserved.
