Station Casinos Investing in Property Upgrades Ahead of Durango Expansion

Station Casinos has big plans for its existing properties in Henderson, Nevada, next year. During its third-quarter earnings call on Thursday, the company revealed it will upgrade both Green Valley Ranch and Sunset Station. Changes to the latter are already underway.

The company is also moving forward with its plans to expand Durango Casino. Upgrades for the existing Henderson properties will give the company time to evaluate when it will begin construction on a new casino in the area.

Meanwhile, Red Rock Resorts, the parent company of Station Casinos, reported record third quarter revenue in Las Vegas.

Two Casino Upgrades

Red Rock Resorts will upgrade two casinos that are about 20 minutes from the center of the Vegas Strip. The renovations continues the company’s upgrade cycle for its existing properties in Henderson, NV.

Green Valley Ranch

The company will renovate nearly 500 hotel rooms at the property.

Construction on the rooms is scheduled to take place from June-November. The company shared renderings of the new hotel rooms, which appear to be similar to the design at Durango Casino.

The room renovations follow new high-limit rooms and restaurants over the past couple of years.

Sunset Station

Station Casinos started renovations on Sunset Station this year when it debuted a new sportsbook in May. The rest of the casino floor upgrades will continue into next year.

The casino will add a new location for the popular country western bar Stoney’s. Santa Fe Station added Stoney’s North Forty last year.

The property will also add a new center bar and Mexican restaurant.

Palace Station

Local dining favorite China Mama is still scheduled to open before the end of the year at Palace Station.

Durango Phase Two on Schedule

Durango continues to deliver financially for Red Rock Resorts. CFO and Executive VP Stephen Cootey said, “Durango is on track to become one of our highest-margin properties.”

Cootey also said phase two remains on schedule and should take about a year to complete. As detailed during the second quarter earnings call, this upgrade is sort of a stepping stone for the property.

This phase will include over 25,000 square feet of casino space. The new gaming floor will add about 230 more slo machines and a new high-limit slot and bar area. A new parking garage will add around 2,000 spaces.

The garage will be able to handle enough cars should the company move forward with future expansions, which could include a new bar, movie theater, spa, hotel tower and more.

Inspirada on Hold

Red Rock Resorts has more than 400 acres of land ready for development throughout the Las Vegas Valley. While there are seven plots of land, three stand out for the company:

• Cactus - South Las Vegas
• Inspirada - Henderson
• Skye Canyon - North Las Vegas

Inspirada, near the Las Vegas Raiders home office and practice facility, appears to be the next entirely new project for Station Casinos. However, construction on this property won’t happen anytime soon. 

Initial plans for Inspirada called for a small 200 room hotel tower, 60,000 square foot casino floor, a bowling alley, a few full-service restaurants, and a food hall.

The company is holding off on beginning construction and will have an update during the second half of 2025.

Third Quarter Financial Highlights

Overall revenues for Red Rock Resorts during the third quarter were $468 million, an increase of 13.7% from $411.6 million in the same period of 2023.

As expected, the majority of revenue came from Las Vegas operations. During the record-setting third quarter, the company had revenues of $464.7 million, up 13.9% from $408 million a year ago.

This was the best third quarter for the company when it came to hotel rooms as well as food and beverage sales.

Early performance for the new Tavern business in North Las Vegas is outpacing expectations. The company plans to open two more taverns in the same area next year.

Larger Table Game Progressive Jackpots

Following the earnings call, Station Casinos announced it was linking the progressive side bets for Three Card Poker, Crazy 4 Poker, and Mississippi Stud Poker at the following properties:

• Durango
• Green Valley Ranch
• Palace Station
• Red Rock Casino
• Sunset Station
• Santa Fe Station

Unlike casinos on the Vegas Strip with linked progressive table game jackpots, these are only $1 side bets. For comparison, similar progressive wagers at Caesars Las Vegas casinos are $5 per hand.