Incentives OK’d for ‘Monopoly Millionaires’ game show
Las Vegas is on board — the Monopoly board, that is.
Representatives of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development office’s board on Thursday approved $2.5 million in incentives for Scientific Games and a subsidiary, Scientific Games Production, to defray costs of building a 40,000-square-foot soundstage for a set for “Monopoly Millionaires Club,” a nationally broadcast television game show.
The incentives may also be used relocate the corporate headquarters of Scientific Games, the world’s second-largest slot machine manufacturer, to Las Vegas from New York. The company recently acquired WMS Industries and Bally Technologies and has 1,500 employees in Southern Nevada.
Members of the board were enthused about relocating the company’s corporate headquarters to bolster Nevada as the home of the leading manufacturers of gaming equipment. Company officials say the move would create 200 jobs in Southern Nevada and the company plans to invest $4.8 million on developing local facilities.
Company officials said approval of the incentives package would be a consideration in the decision to relocate corporate headquarters.
The company also is considering keeping its headquarters in New York or moving to Chicago, the former home of WMS, or Atlanta where the company also has production facilities.
Getting the television production stage is a bonus — and a done deal.
Gavin Isaacs, president and CEO of Scientific, said the soundstage is being built at the Rio. Under the company’s plans, top winners of Scientific’s Monopoly Millionaires Club game would be invited to appear on the television show in Las Vegas.
Lt. Gov. Mark Hutchison, who heads the state’s Tourism Commission, applauded the company’s decision to produce the game show in Las Vegas, adding that it could become a tourism draw for the city.
Scientific Games requested $558,000 in personal property and sales tax abatements, $1.4 million in a catalyst fund grant and, for Scientific Games Production, $571,500 property and sales tax abatements.
Six other companies planning relocations to or expansions in Clark County also won approval for incentive packages that would result in 178 new jobs. The six companies would invest a total $85.4 million in facilities and equipment.
Board members unanimously approved the following:
■ Sales tax, business tax and property tax abatements of $3.1 million for Creel Printing and Publishing Co. for a 150,000-square-foot facility expansion in Las Vegas.
■ Sales, business and property tax abatements of $2.6 million for ECO Waste Conversion Las Vegas to relocate a waste recycling facility from Irvine, Calif.
■ Sales, business and property tax abatements of $1.6 million for the expansion of Clearwater Paper in North Las Vegas.
■ Sales, business and property tax abatements of $510,700 for the location of a new facility in North Las Vegas for Parker Plastics Nevada, from Pleasant Prairie, Wis.
■ Sales, business and property tax abatements of $475,100 for the expansion of Chelten House Products, a manufacturer of dressings and sauces, in North Las Vegas.
■ Sales, business and property tax abatements of $139,700 for a new West Coast headquarters for Burgess Information Systems, operators of ProCare Rx, in Southern Nevada.
Contact reporter Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Find him on Twitter: @RickVelotta.
