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Postcard featuring Don Laughlin’s Riverside Resort and Casino in Laughlin, Nevada, circa 1940–1990.
Harvey's Hotel and Casino Postcard Collection, approximately 1940-1990. PH-00367. Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.

Don Laughlin’s Riverside Resort

1650 S Casino Dr, Laughlin, NV 89029

In 1966, Don Laughlin transformed a building along a quiet bend of the Colorado River into the Riverside Hotel and Casino, turning it into a small resort with eight rooms and a handful of slot machines. Seeing potential in the desert, he expanded the area by supporting key infrastructure, including the 1986 construction of the Laughlin Bridge connecting Nevada and Arizona, which improved airport access and helped build a tourism-based economy.

Over the 1980s and 1990s, rapid development brought new hotels and casinos along the river, establishing Laughlin as a resort destination. Today, Laughlin offers thousands of hotel rooms and remains one of Nevada’s popular getaway spots, reflecting Clark County's legacy of recreation, business, and tourism.

People:

• Don Laughlin, 1931-2023
  • Don Laughlin was a casino entrepreneur born in Minnesota. After running a successful slot machine business as a teenager, he moved to Las Vegas in 1953, where he entered the gaming industry. He later purchased a small property on the Colorado River, which attracted visitors and helped transform it into the successful city of Laughlin, Nevada.

Learn More:

• https://www.visitlaughlin.com/discover/articles/post/discover-laughlins-history-culture/
• https://www.visitlaughlin.com/discover/articles/post/discover-laughlins-history-culture/
• https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/01/business/don-laughlin-dead.html

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Image of Don Laughlin
Courtesy of Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority Archive

For questions or comments, please reach out to the Clark County Museum at ccmuseum@clarkcountynv.gov.