Binion’s, Birthplace of the WSOP, Closes Hotel Operations

Binion’s, a name synonymous with poker, announced yesterday that it was shutting down hotel operations starting on Dec. 14.

“This is a result of this brutal economy that has affected Las Vegas," said Lisa Robinson, a spokesperson for the hotel. “We looked at every aspect of our operations, and the hotel rooms are no longer competitive in this market.”

The casino and the historic poker room will remain open (pictured at the bottom of the article).

Formerly known as Binion’s Horseshoe, the downtown Las Vegas hotel opened in 1951. It hosted the first World Series of Poker in 1970 and continued to crown the world champion of poker until Harrah’s Entertainment bought the hotel and the rights to the prestigious series in 2004 and moved it to the Rio soon thereafter.

Binion’s is currently owned by Terry Caudill’s TLC Casino Enterprises, after the company acquired the property in January 2008 for $32 million.

The hotel hosts 365 rooms and will honor reservations for dates before Dec. 14, but will transfer all subsequent guests to its fellow TLC property, the 694-room Four Queens.

As for additional changes, Binion’s will shut down its coffee shop and discontinue offering keno. All told, approximately 100 of the property’s 800 employees will be out of a job.

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman called the news “a shame,” but stressed that there are a lot of positive developments occurring within the casino industry. One of those positives involves CityCenter, which had its first grand opening today.

Binion’s Poker Room

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