Before the last quarter of the fiscal 2013, the University of Nevada Las Vegas made one of their most significant moves in choosing stadium board members from top quality online casino prime operators. According to recent news, UNLV is geared towards building the newest and most innovative on campus football stadium in the university as well as the entertainment center. In line with these new developments and projects, UNLV picked and named top executives of famous gaming resorts inLas Vegasas part of their 11 member stadium board. The choice has made tremendous impact to the UNLV project according to sources.
Boyd Gaming Corporation picked their own representative on the stadium board of UNLV in the guise of Paul Chakmak, Chief Operating Officer of the online casino prime bookmaker. Chakmak is known to have a background in investment banking before working as the chief financial officer of Boyd Gaming in the previous years. There are other top executives from various other bookmakers and gambling operators in Las Vegas which have secured positions on the stadium board. Rick Arpin, MGM Resorts International’s senior VP and corporate controller is one of the board as well as Bally’s Assistant General Manager, Sean McBurney. He is also the top exec of other gaming properties including Planet Hollywood and Paris for Caesars Entertainment. According to MGM sources, the gambling operator is likewise having their ongoing construction of a 20,000 seat arena project. UNLV officials however confirmed that they are not competing for the top spot with their football stadium.
Although there are nominated names in the board, the UNLV appointees McBurney and Arkin would still have to be approved as stated under state law. Nonetheless, sources also confirmed that it will only be for formality’s sake. Online casino prime news showed that UNLV has won legislative approval from the authority board and stadium district earlier in 2013. The board is in charge of developing funding options, scope and cost for the on campus center. There were previous proposals from the UNLV board to build a Mega Events Center which is approximately worth $900 million complete with 60,000 seat features.