SLS Las Vegas Changing Its Name

The Las Vegas strip won’t be getting a brand new casino this fall, but they will be getting a casino with a new name. The SLS Las Vegas Casino will be changing its name back to Sahara Las Vegas. Even though the property and location will stay the exact same, there are some big plans to modernize and improve the Sahara Las Vegas Casino.

The name change was announced in late June by SLS Las Vegas owner Alex Meruelo, but more plans were announced as we get closer to August. Meruelo and his investment group have agreed to donate more than $100 million in renovations to make Sahara one of the best places on the Vegas strip once again.

The Sahara Hotel and Casino originally opened in 1952 and had a great run as a premier spot on the Vegas strip. In 2011, the Sahara Hotel Casino was bought out by sbe Entertainment and was closed that same year. The SLS Las Vegas opened its doors in 2014, but it was never able to achieve the same status that Sahara enjoyed for more than 50 years. The SLS Las Vegas was bought out in 2018 by the Meruelo Group, and they have decided that another change needs to be made.

Not Many Details

The Meruelo Group currently owns and operates Grand Sierra Resort and Casino in Reno, Nev., but the group was looking for the opportunity to make a name for themselves on the Vegas strip. Court documents and official announcements now show that the Meruelo Group has poured in over $150 million in renovations, and they are anticipating a grand opening celebration sometime this fall.

There aren’t a ton of details known yet how the new casino will be run, but there have been plenty of renovation plans offered up to the general public.

The Sahara Las Vegas Resort and Casino will remain on the north end of the Vegas strip and should be one of the top destinations when it finally opens. The Meruelo group announced that William Hill will still be the company that operates the sportsbook at the casino, but that is one of the only things that hasn’t been changed since the SLS Las Vegas was bought out.

Positive Changes

One of the biggest changes in terms of the casino is the return of the poker room. The Saraha used to feature one of the best and most popular poker rooms on the Las Vegas strip, and it is set to return when the name officially changes in the fall.

This new poker room will not be as large as it was in the past, but at least one will be present this time around. The casino floor has gone through a number of changes, including the addition of a high-limits gaming area. The SLS Las Vegas featured a pair of high-limits gaming areas, but the Sahara will have just one smaller area.

Another major positive change of the return of the Sahara is a rewards program will be a great benefit to loyal customers. Club 52 rewards was created a little over a year ago with the purchase of SLS Las Vegas, and that name and rewards program will carry through the name change. This rewards program is for gambling only, and money spent at the hotels and restaurants will not earn any points.

SLS Las Vegas struggled in a big way to bring in new customers, but the Sahara Las Vegas is planning on getting big entertainment shows. The Sahara Las Vegas will offer entertainment at The Foundry, and they have already announced their first major show. Blanc de Blanc will debut at the Sahara Las Vegas on Aug. 16, which should be about the same time as the name change.

Ryan
Ryan

A sports enthusiast, Ryan helps cover sports betting news from around the country, highlighting some of the more interesting events going on in the USA.