Riverside Resort Appeals to RVers

Forty years ago, Don Laughlin, a native Midwesterner and former owner of the 101 Club casino in Las Vegas, flew his private plane over a desolate area where Arizona, California and Nevada meet and spotted a boarded up motel along the Colorado River.

Laughlin bought the motel and 6.5 acres of riverfront property for $250,000, and opened the Riverside Resort in 1966. The business began with 12 slot machines and two gaming tables, and offered an all-you-can-eat chicken dinner for 98 cents. The Laughlin family occupied half the motel’s eight rooms.

The desert outpost 90 miles south of Las Vegas got its name when a U. S. Postal Service inspector asked Don Laughlin to suggest a name so that mail could be delivered. Laughlin proposed Riverside or Casino, but the postal inspector designated it as Laughlin, Nevada.

The Riverside Resort thrived, expanding steadily. Other businesses followed and today there are nine hotel-casinos lining the Nevada side of the Colorado River, attracting nearly 5 million visitors a year and employing 14,000 workers.

Don Laughlin’s Riverside Resort Hotel and Casino—still owned by the town’s founder— has become a huge resort, with 1,400 rooms in two towers and an RV park with full hookups for 740 RVs.

The RV park has showers, laundry facilities, 24-hour security and free shuttle bus service. Adjacent to the park is a 10,000-square-foot casino called Casino West that was built last year.

The Riverside has all sorts of attractions, including helicopter rides, boat cruises, movie theaters, a bowling alley and a classic car collection.

Naturally, there are plenty of casino games, including the latest slots, keno and video poker. The race and sports book offers seating in front of giant screen TVs in 5,000 square feet of space. Bingo Paradise offers seven sessions daily and a chance to win a new car.

Don’s Celebrity Theatre hosts well-known entertainers. The summer lineup includes Trent Carlini’s tribute to Elvis Presley, Aug. 10-15; magician Franz Harary, Aug. 18-22, and comedian Gallagher, Sept. 3-12. Other headliners will include Freddy Fender, Marty Stuart, the Bellamy Brothers, and Lesley Gore in October; Vicki Lawrence, Charo, Mel Tillis and Roy Clark in November, and Debbie Reynolds, Dec. 28-31.

Lightning Strikes the Dance Club and the famous Loser’s Lounge entertain guests late into the night with live bands, nightly themes and drink specials. Dining options range from a food court to buffets to gourmet restaurants. First-run movies are screened in the Riverside Cinema Six-Plex.

The resort operates the U.S.S. Riverside, a luxury boat that offers cruises on the Colorado River, sailing under Laughlin Bridge to Davis Dam. Helicopter rides are available from the resort for $25 per person.

Admission is free to Don Laughlin’s classic car collection, which includes more than 80 rare, antique and historic automobile, trucks and motorcycles.

In 1999, the resort opened a $15 million, 34-lane bowling center, with a pro shop, snack bar, sports bar and meeting rooms. It includes Don’s Kid Kastle, which provides supervision for children from 3 months to 12 years of age. It has a nursery for infants and supervised play areas for children, along with a place to show movies and a snack area.

In addition to all the activities at the resort, the Laughlin area offers lots of other activities, including golf, tennis, fishing, swimming, water skiing, hiking, scuba diving and horseback riding.

The low-stakes gaming, affordable accommodations and inexpensive dining in Laughlin remind many visitors of the “old Las Vegas.” That, coupled with prime location on the banks of the Colorado River, has not only attracted millions of tourists, but also brought about a population boom. More than 8,000 people now live in Laughlin and 49,000 reside across the river in Bullhead City and the surrounding area in Arizona.

For information about Don Laughlin’s Riverside Resort Hotel and Casino, including its RV park, call (800) 227-3849 or see www.riversideresort.com.