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Poker Hall of Fame Member Named CEO of New Las Vegas Casino

Poker Hall of Fame Member Named CEO of New Las Vegas Casino

The Las Vegas Strip is filled with some of the most famous hotel and casino resorts in the world. Plans are underway to add a new iconic property to the list. The new property has recently named Bobby Baldwin as its CEO.

The new casino resort is called Drew Las Vegas. Baldwin gained his fame and fortune as a Hall of Fame poker player. Along with his vast poker playing experience, he also has past experience in Las Vegas management. Baldwin held the same role at a CityCenter entertainment facility on the Strip. It was owned by MGM Resorts International.

Who Is The New CEO Of The Poker Hall Of Fame?

The 69-year old CEO’s experience runs deep in this gambling town. He spent years and years playing high stakes poker. He also worked for major casino brands in an executive role. He decided to leave MGM Resorts last year and he will assume his new role immediately.

The Drew is part of an unfinished casino resort that was previously known as the Fontainebleau. The property is located on the site of the former Algiers Hotel. Construction of the Fontainebleau began in 2007. However, everything came to a halt in 2009 due to financial issues. The property sat vacant until new owners took over as few years back. It was purchased in 2017 for a reported $600 million.

In 2018, The Witkoff Group and Marriott International announced their joint plans to finish the project. They recently named Baldwin as the Drew’s CEO. Steve Witkoff is the CEO of The Witkoff Group. He called Baldwin “a transformation leader”. He added that he is “an individual who has unrivaled experience”.

The Drew Las Vegas is expected to open some time before 2022. The Las Vegas Strip casino will also house a 67-story hotel. The hotel will consist of more than 4000 rooms and suites. It will also offer 500,000 square feet of convention and meeting space.

As many as 20 different dining options will be part of the resort. There will be numerous retail shopping, entertainment and nightlife options included in the plans. The Drew will mark the debut of Marriott’s high-end “Edition” series of hotel properties in Las Vegas. When complete, this will be the tallest building in Las Vegas outside the Stratosphere as the tallest structure.

The casino resort is named after Mr. Witkoff’s son Andrew. He died of a drug overdose in 2011.

The Drew is part of several new construction projects planned for the northern end of the Las Vegas Strip. The current list includes:

  1. Resorts World
  2. All Net Resort and Arena
  3. Wynn Paradise Park
  4. The Sphere from Las Vegas Sands

Another project in that area is an expansion of the Las Vegas Convention Center. The entire casino gambling capital of the world is expanding at a rapid pace. There are a number of new projects in the downtown area and the Las Vegas area in general. One of the biggest is the new Allegiant Stadium. This will be the new home of the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders with the team moving to town for the 2020 season.