Sam Boyd
| Sam Boyd | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Samuel A. Boyd April 23, 1910 Enid, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Died |
January 15, 1993 (aged 82) Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. |
| Resting place |
Palm Memorial Park Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. |
| Occupation | Businessman, casino manager and developer |
Samuel A. "Sam" Boyd (April 23, 1910 – January 15, 1993) was an American businessman and casino manager and developer. Boyd is noted for introducing successful marketing, gaming, and entertainment innovations into the casino gaming industry, as well as building one of the largest and most successful casino empires in the world.
Career
Born in Enid, Oklahoma, Boyd began his career in the gaming industry in 1928, when he ran bingo games on a gambling ship offshore Long Beach, California. Just prior to the United States entering World War II in 1941, Boyd moved to Las Vegas, Nevada with only $30 on hand. Sam Boyd was able to quickly make his way up through the gaming industry by initially working as a dealer. He later went on to hold a variety of jobs in the industry, moving between Reno, Nevada and Lake Tahoe, California before moving back to Las Vegas.
Having saved up a substantial amount of cash, in 1952 Boyd invested $10,000 to become an owner-partner at the Sahara Hotel and Casino.[1] Later, he then moved on to become general manager and partner at The Mint in Downtown Las Vegas, where he began introducing successful marketing campaigns and the innovations which made him famous. Sam later began developing and purchasing casinos throughout the Las Vegas area, continuing to introduce innovative marketing. Boyd is credited and famous for helping build a large Hawaiian community in Las Vegas, through his marketing techniques which cater toward visitors from the Hawaiian islands.
With the construction and completion of Sam Boyd's California Hotel and Casino in 1975, Boyd formed Boyd Gaming, which would become one of the largest gaming and casino management corporations in the world.
Legacy
In honor of the late Sam Boyd, several casinos and buildings are named in his honor, including Sam's Town Hotel and Gambling Hall, and UNLV's Sam Boyd Stadium.
References
- ↑ "Sam Boyd, 82, a Roulette Dealer Who Became a Builder of Casinos". The New York Times. 16 January 1993. Archived from the original on 17 September 2014. Retrieved 17 September 2014.