The American dream

Gambling may be synonymous with the bright lights of Las Vegas, but there are a couple of places that give Sin City a run for its money – namely Reno, Nevada and the historic town of Black Hawk in Colorado’s Rocky Mountain region.

These are home to two of the most highly rated casinos in the United States – Atlantis Casino Resort Spa and Monarch Casino Resort Spa – both owned and operated by the publicly traded Monarch Casino & Resort (NASDAQ: MCRI).

It all started in 1972 with the purchase of a run-down motel on leased property three miles south of downtown Reno by the late Iranian-born entrepreneur, David Farahi, who had immigrated to the United States only a couple of years prior.

The motel was eventually transformed into Atlantis Casino Resort Spa, now one of northern Nevada’s most profitable and iconic entertainment venues, characterized by its three high-rise hotel towers.

Humble beginnings

The success was a real family affair. Monarch Casino & Resort’s CEO and Co-Chair, John Farahi, recalls how he and his two brothers, Bob and Ben, all got involved in helping their father build the business as soon as they’d completed their university studies.

“Ours is one of the many stories you hear in the United States, where a foreign-born individual can come and achieve success because of the opportunities this incredible land affords its citizens,” he acknowledges.

In collaboration with

Interblock Gaming

AMUSE is redefining casino floors with innovative, amusement-style gaming. AMUSE is redefining casino floors with innovative, amusement-style gaming.

And work hard they did. In 2012, the company acquired its second property, which was expanded and opened as a full resort in 2021. Monarch Casino Resort Spa is conveniently situated 45 minutes from downtown Denver in the historic mountain town of Black Hawk, Colorado.

With over 5,600 square meters of no-limit gaming space filled with electronic games, table games (including baccarat), a poker room and a cutting-edge race and sports book, it’s no wonder the resort is described as one of the country’s best casinos outside Las Vegas.

It also boasts four award-winning dining options, including the flagship Monarch Chophouse, and on the top floor of the 23-story hotel tower is a state-of-the-art spa and year-round enclosed swimming pool, with views of the Rockies seen out of the windows. In 2024, USA Today readers voted Spa Monarch the second-best hotel spa in the nation, reflecting its world-class amenities, treatments and service.

It’s an exciting time for the business, which is in the enviable position of being completely debt-free and is looking to acquire a third property. Farahi will be weighing up the options carefully.

“We have to be very diligent and prudent in how we go after the next target because as a publicly-traded company, we have a responsibility to our shareholders to make sure that we don’t make a hasty decision and tarnish our track record,” he explains.

Taking a gamble

Specifically, how Farahi has managed to differentiate the business from the competition comes down to a few key factors.

“The quality of our team members, superior product and service and location, location, location. The devil is in the details,” he points out.

The most important aspect, he clarifies, is the team. “We are in the casino-entertainment industry, which includes food and beverage, hotel, spa and retail. So it’s critical that you bring the right quality of people on board – those who love to serve others.”

However, it’s not all about soft skills. Farahi highlights the increased impact of AI technology on the hospitality industry.

“To run an efficient operation, you are continually looking to see how you can apply technology to reduce costs and provide better quality of service,” he confirms.

“For example, we’ve started using a robot server that brings the food from our kitchen to the table and takes dirty dishes back to the kitchen. So that’s a novel thing for our guests to see.”

While having the right team and tech in place is vital to a successful business, so too is finding the right partners. One of Monarch’s long-term partnerships is with International Game Technology and another is with Interblock Gaming.

“We’ve partnered with them on many of our slot, race and sports systems. If your goal is to provide the best entertainment environment to your guests, you have to look at who your partners should be to be able to accomplish that goal,” Farahi says.

He also highlights the importance of partnering with the very best food and beverage suppliers.

“Our restaurants are very highly ranked. On TripAdvisor, out of hundreds of restaurants in northern Nevada, usually half of the top 10 are at the Atlantis,” he reveals.

Clearly Farahi is proud of what he and his family have achieved and rightly so. Buying that old motel in Reno all those years ago was a gamble that has more than paid off.

In collaboration with

Interblock Gaming

AMUSE is redefining casino floors with innovative, amusement-style gaming. AMUSE is redefining casino floors with innovative, amusement-style gaming. Read More