Lucky Dragon, the Chinese-themed Las Vegas Strip casino forced to close its doors last September, has been sold for US$36 million.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that Lucky Dragon has been snapped up by Don Ahern, Chairman and CEO of local construction equipment firm Ahern Rentals Inc, with the intention to convert the property into a non-gaming hotel with MICE space. Ahern has also vowed to scrap the name “Lucky Dragon”.
Opened in late 2016 as a boutique property featuring distinctly Chinese themes and aimed primarily at Asian tourists as well as California’s large Asian population, Lucky Dragon struggled to gain any momentum and ceased casino operations within just 14 months. Its doors were shuttered for good by September 2018.
The property had been widely touted as the first of two Chinese-themed casino-resorts planned for the Las Vegas Strip, with Genting’s US$4 billion Resorts World Las Vegas – currently under construction – scheduled to open in 2020.