Jacobs Entertainment, Inc. is a

Gaming Gaming may refer to: Games and sports The act of playing games, as in: * Legalized gambling, playing games of chance for money, often referred to in law as "gaming" * Playing a role-playing game, in which players assume fictional roles * Playing ...

Hospitality Hospitality is the relationship between a guest and a host, wherein the host receives the guest with some amount of goodwill, including the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers. Louis de Jaucourt, Louis, chevalier de J ...

, and

Entertainment Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and delight. It can be an idea or a task, but is more likely to be one of the activities or events that have developed over thousa ...

company based in

Golden, Colorado Golden is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Home rule municipality, home rule city that is the county seat of Jefferson County, Colorado, Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 20,399 at the 2020 United States Censu ...

History

The company was formed by

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

real estate developer and former Ohio state representative Jeffrey Jacobs. In 1995, it announced a joint venture with Black Hawk Gaming & Development to build a casino hotel in

Black Hawk, Colorado Black Hawk is a home rule municipality located in Gilpin County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 127 at the 2020 United States Census, making Black Hawk the least populous city (rather than town) in Colorado. The tiny city is a ...

. Jacobs was also reported to be exploring gaming opportunities in 10 other states and

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

and

Aruba Aruba ( , , ), officially the Country of Aruba ( nl, Land Aruba; pap, Pais Aruba) is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands physically located in the mid-south of the Caribbean Sea, about north of the Venezuela peninsula of ...

. Later that year, the company purchased 50 percent of

Colonial Downs Colonial Downs is a Race track, racetrack located in New Kent County, Virginia adjacent to Interstate 64, halfway between Richmond, Virginia, Richmond and Williamsburg, Virginia, Williamsburg. The track conducted Thoroughbred flat racing and Standa ...

, a horse track under development in

New Kent, Virginia New Kent is a census-designated place (CDP) in and the county seat of New Kent County, Virginia, United States. The population as of the 2020 Census was 739. Cumberland Landing, Cumberland Plantation, and the Cumberland Marsh Natural Area Pres ...

, for $5 million, and was negotiating to purchase

River Downs Belterra Park, formerly known as River Downs, is a racino located in Anderson Township, Hamilton County, Ohio, just outside the southeast limits of Cincinnati. It is owned by Gaming and Leisure Properties and operated by Boyd Gaming. History R ...

, an Ohio horse track. In 1996, the company made a $9 million investment in the Boardwalk Casino on the

Las Vegas Strip The Las Vegas Strip is a stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas Boulevard South in Clark County, Nevada, that is known for its concentration of resort hotels and casinos. The Strip, as it is known, is about long, and is immediately south of ...

. The Lodge Casino, the company's $73-million joint venture with Black Hawk Gaming, opened in 1998, with Jacobs owning a 25 percent share. Gilpin Casino

In 2002, Jacobs and his father, former

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...

(now Guardians) owner

Richard E. Jacobs Richard E. "Dick" Jacobs (June 16, 1925 – June 5, 2009) was an American businessman and real estate developer who co-founded the Jacobs Entertainment, Richard E. Jacobs Group, and owner of the Cleveland Indians from 1986-1999. Biography Jacob ...

, consolidated their gaming holdings into a reorganized Jacobs Entertainment, Inc., which simultaneously purchased all outstanding shares of Black Hawk Gaming & Development and Colonial Holdings. The combined company at that point owned The Lodge Casino and The Gilpin Casino in Black Hawk; The Gold Dust West Casino in

Reno, Nevada Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada-California border, about north from Lake Tahoe, known as "The Biggest Little City in the World". Known for its casino and tourism industry, Reno is the ...

; Colonial Downs racetrack; and six truck stop casinos in Louisiana. The company applied for a license to operate a casino in

Orange County, Indiana Orange County is located in southern Indiana in the United States. As of 2020, its population was 19,867. The county seat is Paoli. The county has four incorporated settlements with a total population of about 8,600, as well as several small u ...

in 2003, but withdrew its bid in the face of stiff competition. It also made plans to develop a casino in

D'Iberville, Mississippi D'Iberville ( ) is a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, United States, immediately north of Biloxi, across the Back Bay. As of the 2010 United States Census, it had a population of 9,486. It is part of the Gulfport–Biloxi Metropolitan St ...

, but pulled out of the project in 2004. Jacobs held discussions about buying New York racetrack

Vernon Downs Vernon Downs is a horse racing track, racino and entertainment facility located in the town of Vernon in central New York. The track was established in 1953 and in 1955 was the location that Adios Harry ran his "Miracle Mile". As tastes chan ...

in 2005, and

Casino Aztar Caruthersville Century Casino Caruthersville, formerly Lady Luck Casino Caruthersville, is a riverboat casino and hotel in Caruthersville, Missouri. It is owned by Vici Properties and operated by Century Casinos. The riverboat is named ''City of Caruthersville'' ...

in Missouri in 2007, but neither acquisition materialized. In 2006, Jacobs spent over $2 million in support of an Ohio ballot measure that would have authorized the company to open a casino at the

Nautica Entertainment Complex Jacobs Pavilion (originally Nautica Stage, later Scene Pavilion, The Plain Dealer Pavilion and Nautica Pavilion) is an open-air amphitheater located on the west bank of The Flats in Cleveland, Ohio. The venue is part of the Nautica Entertainment C ...

, owned by Jeffrey Jacobs. The measure would ultimately fail. In later years, Jacobs' expanded Cleveland properties would be collectively renamed as the Nautica Waterfront District. Jacobs purchased the

Piñon Plaza The Gold Dust West Carson City (formerly the Pinon Plaza Hotel Casino) is a casino hotel located on Hwy 50 in Carson City, Nevada. The Gold Dust West contains of gaming space, with table games, video poker machines, and slots. The Gold Dust Wes ...

casino in

Carson City, Nevada Carson City is an independent city and the capital of the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2020 census, the population was 58,639, making it the sixth largest city in Nevada. The majority of the city's population lives in Eagle Valley, on the ...

in 2006 for $14.5 million, and rebranded it as the Gold Dust West Carson City. The company opened its third casino under the Gold Dust West name in

Elko, Nevada Elko (Shoshoni: Natakkoa, "Rocks Piled on One Another") is the largest city in and county seat of Elko County, Nevada, United States. With a 2020 population of 20,564, Elko is currently growing at a rate of 0.31% annually and its population has i ...

in 2007. In 2008 and 2009, the company bought out the shares of Richard E. Jacobs, leaving his son as the sole owner. The company acquired the Nautica Entertainment Complex from Jeffrey Jacobs in phases between 2008 and 2012. It then purchased the

Greater Cleveland Aquarium The Greater Cleveland Aquarium is an aquarium in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. Occupying the historic FirstEnergy Powerhouse building located on the west bank of the Cuyahoga River in the city's Flats district, the aquarium, which opened in January 2012 ...

, located in the complex, in 2014. Jacobs offered itself for sale to MTR Gaming in 2013 for $145 million in stock, but withdrew the offer after MTR agreed to be acquired by

Eldorado Resorts Caesars Entertainment, Inc., formerly Eldorado Resorts, Inc., is an American hotel and casino entertainment company founded and based in Reno, Nevada that operates more than 50 properties. Eldorado Resorts acquired Caesars Entertainment Corporat ...

. The Jacobses had begun purchasing shares in MTR Gaming in 2006, eventually accumulating an 18 percent stake in the company. Later in the year, Jacobs made a competing offer to buy MTR, and then withdrew it after Eldorado increased its offer. Since 2008, Jacobs has pursued plans to develop a casino in

Diamondhead, Mississippi Diamondhead is a city in southeastern Hancock County, Mississippi, United States. The city is located just over northeast of New Orleans, Louisiana. It is part of the Gulfport−Biloxi Metropolitan Statistical Area. In February 2012, Diamondh ...

. The state gaming commission rejected the proposal in March 2017, but the company filed an appeal. Jacobs purchased the Sands Regency Casino Hotel in Reno, a few blocks away from the Gold Dust West Casino, for $30 million in July 2017. The company soon began a $500-million plan to redevelop the corridor between the two casinos with

mixed-use developments Mixed-use is a kind of urban development, urban design, urban planning and/or a zoning type that blends multiple uses, such as residential, commercial, cultural, institutional, or entertainment, into one space, where those functions are to some ...

and retail and entertainment venues. In April 2018, Jacobs sold Colonial Downs, which had been closed since 2014. The track was sold to Revolutionary Racing, a Chicago-based group of investors and gaming executives, for a price of more than $20 million.

Properties

Cleveland August 2015 27 (Jacobs Pavilion)

175px, The First Energy Powerhouse Building in Cleveland - home to Windows on the River and the

Louisiana

* Cash Magic Truck Plaza & Casino – 23 truck stop casinos located throughout the state.

Black Hawk, Colorado Black Hawk is a home rule municipality located in Gilpin County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 127 at the 2020 United States Census, making Black Hawk the least populous city (rather than town) in Colorado. The tiny city is a ...

* The Gilpin Casino * The Lodge Casino

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...

* Gold Dust West Casinos **

Carson City Carson City is an Independent city (United States), independent city and the capital of the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 58,639, making it the List of cities in Nevada, sixth largest ...

** Elko **

Reno Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada-California border, about north from Lake Tahoe, known as "The Biggest Little City in the World". Known for its casino and tourism industry, Reno is the c ...

* J Resort –

(formerly Sands Regency Casino Hotel) * Reno’s Neon Line District –

* The Glow Plaza –

Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

Nautica Waterfront District - West Bank of

The Flats The Flats is a mixed-use industrial, recreational, entertainment, and residential area of the Cuyahoga Valley neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio, USA. The name reflects its low-lying topography on the banks of the Cuyahoga River. History In 1796 ...

Jacobs Pavilion Jacobs Pavilion (originally Nautica Stage, later Scene Pavilion, The Plain Dealer Pavilion and Nautica Pavilion) is an open-air amphitheater located on the west bank of The Flats in Cleveland, Ohio. The venue is part of the Nautica Entertainment C ...

* Windows on the River (

banquet hall A banquet hall, function hall, or reception hall, is a special purpose room, or a building, used for hosting large social and business events. Typically a banquet hall is capable of serving dozens to hundreds of people a meal in a timely fashion. Pe ...

) * Shooters Waterfront Cafe * Improv Comedy Theater & Restaurant * M/V Lady Caroline (

cruise ship Cruise ships are large passenger ships used mainly for vacationing. Unlike ocean liners, which are used for transport, cruise ships typically embark on round-trip voyages to various ports-of-call, where passengers may go on tours known as "s ...

based/docked at Nautica)Dining cruise ship coming to Cleveland, set to sail later this summer - Cleveland 10.com ( WOIO">Dining cruise ship coming to Cleveland, set to sail later this summer - Cleveland 10.com (WOIO
/WUAB)">WOIO
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/WUAB)/ref>

Former

– New Kent County, Virginia (sold in 2018) * Lolly the Trolley –

Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

(closed in 2022) * M/V Nautica Queen – (cruise ship replaced by Lady Caroline in 2023)

References

External links

* {{Official website, http://jacobsentertainmentinc.com/, Jacobs Entertainment, Inc. Companies based in Golden, Colorado Gambling companies of the United States Hospitality companies of the United States