Jim Simms and Seth Schorr are striving to create the casino of the future at Downtown Grand. By David McKee

“Gamblers wanted” is the new mantra of Fifth Street Gaming’s Downtown Grand casino, in Las Vegas—and no wonder. On a recent midweek night, the casino floor was thinly populated and the high-limit room empty. The lively exception to the prevailing quiet was a crowded craps table.  Downtown Grand has been a victim of geography. Executives will tell you that its biggest handicap is being a block off the Fremont Street Experience, the main artery of downtown Vegas. That one, long block might as well as be a mile as far as foot traffic is concerned.

Not even being next door to the Mob Museum has spared Downtown Grand from some early struggles. Gone is the short-lived baccarat pit, along with Red Mansion restaurant, Spread Deli, street dice, the Ninth Island shaved-ice bar and the Mob Bar. It was even rumoured that the Grand would be put up for sale.

Yet what was really happening was that Fifth Street was rethinking and reloading, preparing a raft of initiatives that CEO Jim Simms and Chairman of the Board Seth Schorr unveiled on the cusp of Global Gaming Expo. They’re not a quick fix but are definitely a forward-thinking, long-term strategy that indicates that owner CIM Group and Fifth Street are in Downtown to stay.

“We really believe we have something special here,” says Simms. Referring to the casino’s post-industrial look, with exposed brickwork and the old “eye in the sky” catwalks revealed for all to see, he added, “It looks unique and it is not designed to be a run-of-the-mill competitor. We want to be perceived as right up there with Golden Nugget in terms of downtown offerings.” Then, addressing the obvious problem, he said, “Even though we’re just a couple of minutes away from Fremont, if we can get people to come here to see what we have, they’re going to be excited.”

KonekTV on the move helping books with wagering info

As of December 2019, sports betting is regulated in 16 U.S. states, with enabling laws passed in another four states and legislation to authorize wagering on games pending in three other states.

The rapid legalization of sports betting since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the federal ban in May 2018, has led to several mergers within the industry. It has also led to the creation of a number of associated businesses.

Fifth Street Gaming Digital Launches Flagship JefeBet.com Brand for the U.S. Latino Audience

LAS VEGAS, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Fifth Street Gaming Digital today announced the launch of its Spanish language media hub JefeBet.com. FSG Digital is the interactive arm of Fifth Street Gaming, a full-service hospitality and casino management company based in Las Vegas that has catered to the Latino market since 2006, most notably through the operations of the Lucky Club and Silver Nugget Casino.

Esports group pursues safe betting environment for gamblers

Committee member Brett Abarbanel, director of research at UNLV’s International Gaming Institute, said esports are on a rapid growth trajectory, and noted viewpoints offered by panelists and four special presenters at the first meeting provide a great start to the process of managing and regulating wagering on games and tournaments. That, in time, should translate to an increase in gambling revenue for the state and greater tax revenue.

Fifth Street Digital launches JefeBet.com for US-based Latino audience

Fifth Street Gaming Digital Tuesday announced the launch of JefeBet.com, a centralized Spanish-language media hub for Latino-focused sports, gaming, and entertainment.
FSG Digital is the interactive arm of Fifth Street Gaming, a Las Vegas-based hospitality and casino management company. The company has catered to the Latino market since 2006 through operations including the Lucky Club Hotel & Casino and Silver Nugget Casino & Event Center, both in North Las Vegas.