Mohave Daily News: Top Story

News West

LAUGHLIN - The town of Laughlin has come a long way since the days when the Anasazi and Patayan Indians inhabited the river valley nearly 3,000 years ago or since the Mojave Indians began to plant corn along the fertile river banks in the early 1200s.

Even the 1850s - the early days of steamboat use - can't compare to the boom the area has seen in the last three years, according to Laughlin's founding father Don Laughlin, owner of the Riverside Resort Casino.

“When I first came here, there were only about 14 people and a lot of gnats,” he said of 1966. “We've seen some great change in my time, but the greatest has been in the last three or four years.”

Laughlin credits developer Dave Lords of Laughlin Ranch with the sudden influx of growth to the area.

“Dave Lords came on the scene and everything just sort of snowballed,” Laughlin said. “We're seeing new home construction all over. People might think the market is slowing down, but we're still building. If Dave Lords hadn't of come in here, a lot of people wouldn't have made money. He was the guy that got things rolling.”

Laughlin sold Lords part of the land that is home to Laughlin Ranch.

While he has no desire to step into the development ring himself, as the owner of 130 acres of prime real estate along Bruce Woodbury Drive - acquired during a Bureau of Land Management auction in 2006 - Laughlin is glad to see the boom.

“It's all pie in the sky right now - a lot of talk about a lot of things,” he said. “We've heard mention of a medical facility or a hospital on that property. Right now, it's all talk, but eventually, if we continue to see the kind of growth we've seen in the last few years, it's very possible. At my age, I don't want to get into the development myself; I don't want to fight the bureaucracy, but it's a good investment.”

So is being the only man in town with a bridge, he said.

“It's nice to have the only bridge, but you can't hold up progress,” Laughlin said. “It's a lot more expensive to build a bridge now than when I did. Dave Lords is going to have to cantilever the river, which is a lot more expensive.”

Lords isn't the only one who has increased business for the casino tycoon.

“All the buyouts and changing of hands of the other casinos has been good for us,” Laughlin said. “We've had the biggest year we've ever had - by about 10 percent. The new money coming in is good for all of us.”

Though a huge supporter of small business and the little man, Laughlin believes the new businesses that have opened in the area are good for everyone.

“Small businesses might be afraid of the big names like Lowe's and Sam's Club, but in the end, it's good for the community,” he said. “People are going to go where they can get the most and the best deal. It's just the world we live in, and it's part of progress.”

Even an establishment such as the topless sports bar planned in Bullhead City, Cheerleaders, has a right to move into the area, he said.

“I know the man building Cheerleaders and he has jumped through every hoop people have set in front of him, and people are still throwing things at him,” Laughlin said.

“It's isn't the type of place I'd want to go to, but he has followed the law. There is a certain element of people who are just against everything. If they're not careful, they'll vote themselves out of a job. A lot of laws are very hypocritical.”

Which is why he would prefer to avoid another layer of government in Laughlin, he said.

“I am not for incorporating,” Laughlin said. “I'm always opposed to more regulations. Clark County is getting better to deal with since we've seen some of the big corporations move down here, and the town board does a great job looking out for our interests.”

Looking back at the last year, Laughlin said the closure of the Mohave Generating Station was a move that had to be made.

“I'm sad to think about all those people who lost their jobs, but it needed to be cleaned up,” he said. “It's going to take 10 years to clean up the environment.”

Laughlin has had many offers over the years from big and small investors looking to purchase his casino, but he has repeatedly declined.

“We have 200 acres right here on the corner - of course they'd love to have it,” Laughlin said. “I'm going on 76, but I'm still feeling pretty good. I'm not ready to sell.”

While he credits his manager Dale Newman with the day-to-day running of the casino, Laughlin is not ready to give up his “big leaky ship.”

“We have more than 2,200 employees and, like everyone else, we're always short of help,” Laughlin said. “That's one of the biggest problems with this area - a qualified workforce. The government has spoiled a lot of people and drugs are an epidemic.”

While Laughlin admits the socio-economic standards of the population are going up, Laughlin in many ways resembles a third world country, he said.

“If you put some of these people in a suit and tie, they wouldn't know what to do,” he said. “Drugs are a big part of that. They have definitely lowered the standards of the people. But, as we grow, things seem to be getting better.”

While he may not approve of the choices of some of the population, Laughlin is proud of the area, he said.

“I raised my three children here and they all went through the school system,” he said. “I believe the education system on both sides of the river is very good.”

Looking back over the years, from the days the Harley Run was a group of motorcycle cops from Phoenix and the rodeo was the biggest thing in town, Laughlin believes things are getting better, sort of.

“The Harley Run is just too big,” he said. “It's gotten too expensive and too tedious to expand. Just getting the permits to build would take three years. But all the new money coming into town is good for business.”

Writer M.J. Smith works for News West's specialty publications division. She can be reached at assoceditor@ desert currents.net.