Company History

Beginnings are important, both in the lives of people and of companies. In the case of Boyd Gaming Corporation, it all started with a man who embodied the concepts of integrity, commitment and excellence - concepts which are the cornerstones of what is today one of the gaming industry's brightest success stories. That man is Sam Boyd. Together with his family, Sam Boyd parlayed $80, an unflagging sense of optimism, a winning attitude with people and a legendary work ethic into a multimillion-dollar gaming and entertainment empire.

It all began with a dream, a smile and a tip of the hat to Lady Luck. Back in the rough-and-tumble days of the Roaring Twenties, a young man worked the carnival games at the Long Beach Pike Amusement Park in California to help support his fatherless family.

The rest, as they say, is history.

With just $80 in his pocket, Sam Boyd arrived in Las Vegas on Labor Day, 1941. Sam worked up through the ranks from dealer to pit boss to shift supervisor. It wasn't long before Sam had raised enough money to buy an interest in the world-renowned Sahara Hotel. He then moved on to become general manager and partner at The Mint in downtown Las Vegas, where he introduced a number of successful marketing, gaming and entertainment innovations.

Although never pressured to join his father in the gaming business, Bill Boyd soon joined Sam in purchasing the Eldorado Club in Henderson. In 1973, after more than 15 years as a practicing attorney, Bill decided to join his father on a full-time basis in the hotel/gaming business.

The Boyds' string of successes quickly followed. The California Hotel and Casino in downtown Las Vegas was opened in 1975. But Sam and Bill Boyd wanted a second property to bear their family name. That resulted in the creation of a hotel and casino that would not only revolutionize the industry, but would also create a third major gaming area in Las Vegas - what is known today as the Boulder Strip.

Sam's Town, originally built on 13 acres of desert at the then-quiet intersection of Boulder Highway and Nellis Boulevard, was the first such resort to cater to local residents, and the gamble paid off handsomely.

More properties followed in rapid succession. Today, Boyd Gaming Corporation's impressive roster includes 16 casino entertainment properties with operations in Nevada, New Jersey, Mississippi, Louisiana, Indiana, and Illinois.

Even though Sam Boyd passed away in 1993, his legacy of integrity, commitment and excellence lives on in the very essence of Boyd Gaming Corporation.