Arch rivals: Landmark separates fates in Reno

RENO — If it weren’t for the roller hockey players who took over the Virginia Street Plaza on a mild spring evening, the south end of the city’s main casino road could be mistaken for a desolate Nevada community or Atlantic City.

The north end of Virginia Street was different story.

Bowlers made the short walk between Circus Circus, Silver Legacy and Eldorado to the National Bowling Stadium for the USBC Open Championships. Between sessions, competitors packed the casinos.

The tournament, which runs from February to July and is expected to attract upward of 80,000 bowlers, is a lifeline for the three casinos.

"We’ve been involved with it for a decade," said Jennifer Cunningham, director of sales and marketing for Circus Circus. "It’s important for the community."

Reno’s Virginia Street is a tale of two cities. The landmark "The Biggest Little City in the World" arch is the dividing point.

South of the arch, the Horseshoe, once owned by Reno Mayor Bob Cashell, now houses a pawnshop and souvenir market.

Fitzgeralds and the Golden Phoenix are boarded up. Across the street, The Virginian has been shuttered for years.

Harrah’s Reno and the Club Cal Neva control that end of the market. A sign of the times, though — the marquee at Harrah’s advertised weekend beer pong tournaments for a $20 buy-in.

Reno gaming has suffered over the past decade, not only because of the recession. Northern California tribal casinos bled the market.

In 2000, Reno casinos collected $859 million in gaming revenues. After declines in six of the past 10 years, including a 10.2 percent drop in 2008 and 14.4 percent decline in 2009, Reno’s annual gaming take was $580.1 million last year.

The Eldorado, Silver Legacy and Circus Circus are an island. Cunningham said the tough times pushed the three casinos to work together. MGM Mirage owns Circus Circus and 50 percent of the Silver Legacy. Reno’s Carano family owns the other half of Silver Legacy and the Eldorado. Harrah’s Reno is often brought into the fold.

Independent properties, such as the Grand Sierra and John Ascuaga’s Nugget in Sparks, are islands with loyal customer followings outside Virginia Street.

Cunningham and her colleagues haven’t given up on downtown.

The 2-year-old Reno Aces Triple-A baseball stadium is within walking distance of Harrah’s. It is the first piece of area revitalization. The Freight House District, which has four restaurant and entertainment venues, is adjacent to the ballpark.

"Redevelopment has not moved along as quickly as we had hoped, but we’re optimistic," Cunningham said.

Reno isn’t Atlantic City.

Howard Stutz’s Inside Gaming column appears Sundays. He can be reached at hstutz@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3871. He blogs at lvrj.com/blogs/stutz.