Michael Gaughan | |
|---|---|
| Born | Michael John Gaughan (1943-03-24)March 24, 1943 (age 81) |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Known for | South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa,Coast Casinos |
| Children | Brendan Gaughan |
| Parent | Jackie Gaughan (father) |
| Website | www |
Michael John Gaughan (March 24, 1943 inOmaha,Nebraska) is an Americancasino owner and operator inLas Vegas,Nevada, who is the owner of theSouth Point Hotel, Casino & Spa. He is the son ofJackie Gaughan and was the owner of aNASCAR race team,South Point Racing, for which his son,Brendan Gaughan, used to drive. The team was dissolved at the end of the 2007 season.
Gaughan won the 1966Mint 400 race, and continued that interest withSouth Point Racing which he founded in 1999 and dissolved in 2007.[citation needed]
After many roles in casinos, including various ownership roles, Gaughan opened theBarbary Coast Hotel and Casino in March 1979 at a cost of $11.5 million. That casino, on 4.3 acres (1.7 ha) of land, became the foundation forCoast Casinos.[1] He was instrumental in bringing theProfessional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA)'s year-end championship event, theNational Finals Rodeo (NFR), to Las Vegas in 1985. He serves on the NFR committee and is a longtime sponsor of the NFR and PRCA. He is also a board member of theNational Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.[2] In 2004, Gaughan sold Coast Casinos for $1.3 billion toBoyd Gaming. In July 2006, Boyd gaming announced that it was selling theSouth Coast to Gaughan for an estimated $576 million. The casino was built at a cost of $600 million.[citation needed]
Gaughan has been granted the rights to operateslotconcession atHarry Reid International Airport under the name Michael Gaughan Airport Slots,[9] operating over 1,300 slot machines in all of the airport's terminals.[10]