Harrahs Casinos
Harrah's Casinos has followed the growing trends of the legal gambling industry with expansion and growth that has placed them among the industry leaders. The company has led in business advancement and expansion, and has grown from a bingo parlor in Reno, Nevada to 22 casinos in 13 states across America. Bill Harrah probably never would have guessed that the Bingo Parlor business that he established in 1937 would expand to include 22 casinos in 13 states. Harrah's has become one of the major powerhouses in the casino gaming industry. Just like the industry, Harrah's developed at a relatively slow pace, having just the Bingo Parlor for the first nine years of business. In 1946, Harrah's club was added in Downtown Reno. Another ten years would pass before Harrah's acquired several clubs on the Nevada California border community of Lake Tahoe. The company relied on these clubs and a 400 room hotel in Reno to carry them into the 1970's. In the early 1970's, Harrah's became the first casino gaming establishment to be sold publicly on the New York Stock Exchange. It soon expanded its empire by building a 250 room hotel in Lake Tahoe. Harrah's was eventually purchased by the Holiday Inn hotel chain, and placed under the conglomerate Holiday Corporation. This purchased expanded the based to include hotel/casinos in Las Vegas and Atlantic City. Other Harrah's began springing up in locations such as Laughlin, Nevada, and more locations in Reno. When the Riverboat Gambling craze swept the country, Harrah's opened its first Riverboat Casino in Joilet, Illinois in 1992. Just as the land-based casinos had expanded for the company so did the