Manager of property with no slot machines licensed by Nevada commission

The Nevada Gaming Commission made the unusual approval of a gaming license for the general manager of a property that doesn’t have a single slot machine or table game.

Commissioners on Thursday unanimously approved licensing for Arik Knowles as a key employee for Bally’s Corp.’s Tropicana Las Vegas.

The Tropicana was closed in April, but Knowles appears to be the perfect person in place for what happens next for the Strip property because of his experience opening four Las Vegas resorts.

Knowles said his primary responsibility now is preparing the Tropicana for an early October implosion. He said a date for that still hasn’t been set.

He also told commissioners about his experience opening properties — which could be in his future if Bally’s develops a casino-resort in conjunction with the construction of a $1.5 billion, 33,000-seat indoor baseball stadium on the Trop site.

Knowles told commissioners he helped open the Monte Carlo (now Park MGM) in 1996, The Venetian in 1999, THEhotel (now Delano Las Vegas) in 2003, and Fontainebleau Las Vegas in 2023.

No detailed plans have been announced by Bally’s for a resort at the Tropicana. While he prepares for future development in Las Vegas, Knowles has been spending time working with Bally’s Lake Tahoe property.

Commissioners were told that “about 99 percent” of the slot machines from the Tropicana floor were moved to other Bally’s properties across the country, with a handful put into storage to return someday to Las Vegas.

“The closing (of the Tropicana) was, as I told the (Gaming Control) board, very emotional,” Knowles told the commission. “We went through a lot of ownership changes over the years and saying goodbye was tough, but I’m very excited about the new role and what’s going to happen with the site. As you can see, the site is moving very quickly. It’s almost completely down.”

Knowles also had no updated information about the announced merger agreement between New York-based hedge fund Standard General LP, headed by Bally board chairman Soo Kim, with Bally’s. That deal won’t close until next year because it requires approval from multiple gaming regulatory jurisdictions. Nevada regulators are familiar with Kim and has licensed him in his board role.

Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on X.