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Summary:
- With a new Arizona casino on the way, the Fort Mojave Tribe is deciding whether to expand the Avi or replace it with a new resort.
- President Richard Cook says the property is steady, even with softer summer demand and shifts toward value-focused guests.
- A feasibility study will guide whether the tribe doubles room capacity, adds more gaming, or starts fresh on the same site.
The Avi Resort & Casino, a tribal-owned property just outside Laughlin, Nevada, is taking a close look at its long-term future.
With a new casino already under construction across the river in northwest Arizona, the Fort Mojave Tribe is now weighing whether to expand the Avi or build an entirely new resort on the same site.
Steady Road for the Avi
Casino President Richard Cook, who is set to appear before the Nevada Gaming Commission on December 18 as part of a routine licensure process following his promotion, told regulators that the Avi has held steady even as Las Vegas has seen a slowdown.
He said the summer was softer than expected but still manageable.
One thing that we experienced a little differently from some of the properties (on the Las Vegas Strip) was that our occupancy was up, but with value customers. We weren’t able to drive the room rate we had the last couple of years. A lot more families are bringing in their own ice chests and that type of stuff. We’re seeing gaming dip a little bit, but overall, the property is doing really well.
The Avi, which opened in 1995 near the California and Arizona borders, has 465 rooms and a 25,000-square-foot casino. It attracts two very different crowds depending on the season.
Winter brings in snowbirds, many from Canada, with an average guest age close to 70. Spring and summer shift sharply toward families and boaters looking for sun and water access.
The tribe is already building Spirit Mountain Casino in the Mohave Valley, which will replace an older casino on the same Arizona site. The new facility will have 350 slot machines but no hotel.
Serving 100,000 Residents
At the Avi, Cook said the tribe continues to invest and is interested in exploring what comes next. Last week, he was asked to commission a feasibility study to help determine whether expansion or a brand-new resort makes more sense.
Space doesn’t seem to be an issue.
We only have 452 rooms now with limited convention space, but there are times if we had twice the number of hotel rooms we could do a lot more things, especially with all our space and land. There’s no resort fees
The casino floor currently has 705 slot machines, down from pre-pandemic levels. Cook said the target is 750 to 800 machines.
That’s probably best for us. On a really busy day, we will run 75% occupancy on the floor, so there are some times we can use more.
Cook has led the property for 12 years and says adjusted earnings are four times what they were when he arrived in 2014. He plans to hire a general manager to take over his old role.
Part of the Avi’s appeal is its setting.
The great thing about the Avi and where it’s located is that if you’re on the strip of Laughlin, you get a lot of walk-in traffic. We have a golf course across the street and a daily campground and our own beach and boat ramp, a lot of things people can come and stay for a week in the summer months. In Laughlin, it’s more hotels, gaming, and restaurants.
The area between Laughlin and Needles has about 100,000 residents, giving the Avi a local base in addition to its visitors.
