Born:  April 23, 1910, Enid, Oklahoma
Died:  January 15, 1993

Samuel A. "Sam" Boyd, Casino Owner.  Arrived in Las Vegas, Nevada in 1941 with only $80 in his pocket. He was able to work his way up through the gaming industry by first working as a dealer, then as a pit boss, and as a shift supervisor. Eventually he saved enough money to buy an interest in the Sahara Hotel. Sam 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. Sam formed the Boyd Gaming Corporation which would become one of the largest gaming companies in the world. Sam's Town Hotel and Gambling Hall on Boulder Highway is named for Boyd as well as the Sam Boyd Stadium.

In 1993 Boyd Gaming became a public company traded on the NYSE. The company's $1.3 billion merger with Coast Casinos, Inc. in 2004 created one of the most diversified gaming companies in the business.

The Boyd Family is active in the Las Vegas community, with strong ties to the UNLV. In the mid 1960's, Sam started the Boys Club in Henderson. In 1984, the Boyd's made a $1.5 million contribution for improvement of the Silver Bowl football stadium, which was aptly re-named Sam Boyd Stadium.

The Boyd family also helped the state of Nevada create its first and only law school in 1997, creating the William S. Boyd School of Law. The Boyd's also have shown their loyalty to other events in the Las Vegas Valley including the sponsorship of the Sam's Town 300 NASCAR Busch Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and the Aviation Nation Air Show at Nellis Air Force Base. Boyd Gaming also owns the Orleans Arena, which is home to the ECHL's Las Vegas Wranglers and many other local sports events

 

 

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