Tropicana Marquee Displaying Names of All 700 Employees Before Closing

Posted on: March 18, 2024, 02:25h. 

Last updated on: March 19, 2024, 12:30h.

Corey Levitan Read More
Expertise: Commercial Gaming, Entertainment, Expert Insight, Las Vegas, Restaurants, Las Vegas Myths.

Until the Tropicana Las Vegas closes on April 2, the 67-year-old Strip resort is honoring its current roster of more than 700 employees, many of whom have worked there for 20 years, for their service.

The Tropicana's digital marquee
The Tropicana’s digital marquee flashes a portion of the names of all its current employees. (Image: Bally’s Corp.)

Starting today, the digital marquee is displaying all of the workers’ names, 24/7.

This heartfelt gesture demonstrates the management’s appreciation for their employees’ dedication and commitment to creating a positive work experience during this transition period,” read a news release from the resort’s current and final owner, Bally’s Corporation.

The property is closing in advance of demolition to ultimately build a new hotel-casino and a baseball stadium for the relocating Oakland Athletics. A demolition date hasn’t yet been scheduled, though heavy machinery has already been moved onto the property.

Opened in 1957, the Tropicana is the site of the Las Vegas Strip’s oldest surviving hotel rooms, and one of the only casinos that bore witness to the era of Rat Pack members in the showrooms and mafia members in the boardrooms.

Tropicana’s employees will each receive a severance of $2,000 for each year of work. For some employees, that could add up to as much as $60K.

Bally’s promises to provide employees not able to consider retirement yet with “as many resources as possible, including opportunities across the company.”

Field of Dreams?

Though plans are proceeding for the new A’s stadium, with fresh renderings released earlier this month, some critics point to signs that Providence, Rhode Island-based Bally’s doesn’t have the money to will this dream into reality. They worry that imploding the Tropicana may only result in another plot of Strip land lying dormant for a decade.

Only last Monday, Bally’s was reported to be reviewing a corporate takeover bid after falling $800 million short on another project — a planned Chicago casino. That bid was floated by New York-based hedge fund Standard General, which proposed acquiring all outstanding Bally’s shares that it doesn’t already own for $15 per share. Standard General currently controls 23% of outstanding Bally’s equity.

Last Tuesday, Bally’s announced the formation of a special committee to evaluate the new takeover bid, but cautioned investors that wasn’t an indication of acceptance of the offer.

No timeline was revealed regarding when the committee could announce a decision.