Ojos Locos to team with Fifth Street Gaming for Latino casino

A North Las Vegas casino is working with a Dallas-based sports bar chain to develop the first U.S. hotel-casino dedicated to the Latino community.

The Lucky Club Hotel & Casino near the Cheyenne Avenue exit of Interstate 15 will be renovated and rebranded and feature the largest Ojos Locos Sports Cantina restaurant in the country.

“We are gratified to join together on this endeavor with Ojos Locos, a vibrant and growing brand which has, over the last 12 years, established itself as a national leader in providing authentic hospitality experiences to the Latino community,” Seth Schorr, CEO of Fifth Street Gaming, said in a release. “Their expertise, combined with our 15-year record of producing successful events designed for the Latino audience in Southern Nevada, makes them the ideal partner in this first-ever Latino-focused integrated gaming, dining and entertainment venture.”

Representatives did not disclose how much Fifth Street and Ojos Locos will invest in the renovation, which is expected to be completed in December.

They also did not say what the renovated property’s name would be.

When the renovation is complete, the revamped property will house a 10,000-square-foot casino, 10,000 square feet of indoor-outdoor entertainment space and a restaurant capable of accommodating nearly 300 people. The hotel-casino will continue to offer a calendar of concerts featuring Latino artists, Mexican rodeos and food festivals.

“We are excited and honored to collaborate with Fifth Street Gaming on this project, allowing us to bring the Ojos experience to Nevada,” Laura Caudillo, vice president of marketing for Ojos Locos Sports Cantina, said in a release. “We look forward to adding to the Latino community experience with our excellent service, delicious food and fun atmosphere.”

“Ojos Locos” translates to “Crazy Eyes” in Spanish. Caudillo said servers at the cantina are known as “chicas coquetas y bonita” — “flirtatious and pretty girls.”

Ojos Locos has 18 restaurants in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. Their sports bars are filled with high-definition televisions broadcasting Spanish-language sports shows.

Las Vegas-based Fifth Street Gaming has a diverse portfolio of casinos, gaming taverns, restaurants and bar concepts including the Downtown Grand and operates the Lucky Club and Silver Nugget Casino in North Las Vegas. Schorr also is one of the state’s pioneers in offering eSports wagering and is a member of the eight-member Nevada Gaming Control Board-appointed Esports Technical Advisory Committee.

Peter Guzman, president of the Latin Chamber of Commerce, Nevada, said he has never met with any of the executives of Ojos Locos but knows the Fifth Street Gaming team well. He said the collaboration is a good business decision, and it doesn’t appear that such a venture is exploitive in any way just by establishing a property geared toward the Latino community.

“We have grocery stores that are geared toward Hispanics, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with it as long as it’s done with dignity, sincerity and respect,” Guzman said. “I think it’s good business, and the bottom line is that there will be some non-Hispanics going over there for the food and the culture as well, so I think it’s a perfect fit.”

He noted the demographic’s loyalty.

“I think they’ll be very successful if they throw out some soccer (in the sports cantina),” he said. “Once this group opens and does this correctly and captures the trust and hearts of that community, they’re going to have a very loyal group of folks that will ensure success.”

Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on Twitter.