Sam's Town Hotel and Gambling Hall, commonly shortened to Sam's Town, is a casino brand owned by Boyd Gaming, named after its founder, Sam Boyd (1910–1993). Five properties have carried the Sam's Town name; two remain owned and operated by Boyd Gaming.
History The first Sam's Town opened in the Las Vegas Valley in Sunrise Manor, Nevada, on April 1, 1979. Branded as Sam's Town Hotel and Gambling Hall, Las Vegas, it has undergone several expansions, including an 18-screen theatre added in 2000. , the facility included 645 hotel rooms.
The second Sam's Town opened in 1984 in Laughlin, Nevada. Originally branded as Sam's Town Gold River, it was later shortened to Gold River and was operated by Boyd Gaming until March 1991. Since then, the facility has changed names and owners, most recently operating as Laughlin River Lodge.
The third Sam's Town opened in 1994 in Tunica Resorts, Mississippi. It was expanded after Boyd Gaming bought an adjacent property in 2002. Branded as Sam's Town Hotel and Gambling Hall, Tunica, it had over 700 hotel rooms. This facility closed in 2025.
The fourth Sam's Town was a riverboat casino that operated in Kansas City, Missouri, from September 1995 until July 1998. It was branded as Sam's Town Gambling Hall, Kansas City.
The fifth Sam's Town opened in May 2004 after Boyd Gaming acquired an existing property in Shreveport, Louisiana, from Harrah's Entertainment. Branded as Sam's Town Hotel and Gambling Hall, Shreveport, it had over 500 hotel rooms.
+Sam's Town properties Location Name Operated Notes Sunrise Manor, Nevada Sam's Town Hotel and Gambling Hall, Las Vegas 1979–present 645 hotel rooms Laughlin, Nevada Sam's Town Gold River 1984–1991 now Laughlin River Lodge Tunica Resorts, Mississippi Sam's Town Hotel and Gambling Hall, Tunica 1994–2025 riverboat casino Kansas City, Missouri Sam's Town Gambling Hall, Kansas City 1995–1998 riverboat casino Shreveport, Louisiana Sam's Town Hotel and Gambling Hall, Shreveport 2004–present 500+ hotel rooms
Sponsorship
Boyd Gaming has sponsored several NASCAR races with Sam's Town branding. In the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, the Sam's Town 250 was held at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 1998, and the Sam's Town 400 was held at Texas Motor Speedway from 2006 to 2008. In the NASCAR Busch Series, the Sam's Town 300 was held at Las Vegas Motor Speedway from 1998 to 2013, and the Sam's Town 250 was held at Memphis International Raceway from 1999 to 2007.
In ten-pin bowling, the Sam's Town Invitational was an event on the Ladies Pro Bowlers Tour (now the Professional Women's Bowling Association) from 1979 into the 1990s.
In the mid-1990s, a Boeing 737-300 operated by Western Pacific Airlines, tail number N955WP, was painted in the Sam's Town color scheme, also listing its casino locations at the time (Las Vegas, Kansas City, Tunica).
See also Sam's Town, a 2006 album by the Killers, named after the brand's Las Vegas-area casino
References
External links
N955WP, Boeing 737-300 in Sam's Town livery via FlightAware