Shortly after the November election, we speculated on what a second Donald Trump presidency might mean for the gambling business.
Despite gaming not likely being a top priority, President-elect Trump has selected three men with Nevada gambling links to key positions in his incoming administration.
First, Trump nominated billionaire magnate Tilman Fertitta as U.S. Ambassador to Italy. Fertitta is a current gaming investor through his company, Landry’s Inc., which owns the Golden Nugget casino chain.
Second, investment banking CEO and Secretary of Commerce nominee Howard Lutnick has links to Las Vegas gambling through his company, Cantor Fitzgerald.
And finally, Tom Barrack, founder of real estate investment firm Colony Capital, has been nominated for U.S. Ambassador to Turkey.
All three have held Nevada gambling licenses, although Fertitta’s is the only one that is currently active.
The Appointments
Trump confirmed his intentions to nominate various positions in his incoming administration over the past weeks.
Fertitta was one of the most-discussed appointments, being a high-profile billionaire that owns various large U.S. companies under his Landry’s Inc. firm.
In Las Vegas, and in Nevada more widely, Fertitta operates a half-dozen Golden Nugget casinos, and apparently hasn’t given up the dream of having a full Las Vegas Strip casino resort. He is also the cousin of Red Rock Resorts owners and fellow billionaires Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta.
Meanwhile, Lutnick is the New York-based chairman and CEO of financial advisors Cantor Fitzgerald. The company’s investments brought them to Nevada in 2006 with sportsbook Cantor Gaming.
In 2020, that company — renamed CG Technology after illegal bookmaker connections cost it millions in fines and nearly its Nevada gaming license — was sold to William Hill U.S. Lutnick did not renew his personal Nevada gaming license when CG Technology was sold.
Barrack founded private equity firm Colony Capital. In 2007, he led Colony to invest in the Fertitta brothers’ Station Casinos as it went public. However, Station went bust in 2009, and was forced into bankruptcy restructuring.
Colony lost millions on the deal in the end, and Station emerged as Red Rock Resorts. Which, in a very Las Vegas fashion, has since relaunched Station again as a new company.
Colony also owned the Las Vegas Hilton between 2005 and 2011, but the recession led to it foreclosing on its loan to Goldman Sachs. The banking giant took the property and sold it to its current owners, Westgate Resorts, in 2014. Barrack did not renew his Nevada gaming license after Colony lost out on its investments in the Las Vegas Hilton.
The appointments of Fertitta, Barrack, and Lutnick must be confirmed by Congress after January 20, when Trump takes over the presidency from Joe Biden.
Gambling Future
Decades ago, the idea of anyone even tangentially connected to gambling in Las Vegas holding a key role in the U.S. federal government would have been almost unthinkable for many Americans.
But times have most certainly changed. Americans have largely embraced legal gambling expansion across sports betting, tribal casinos, and luxury casino resorts.
And on the political side of things, a gambling connection is already far down the list of reasons to critique Trump’s selected government appointments.
Trump himself also owned several casinos in Atlantic City in the ’90s. He also received large donations towards his 2024 campaign from billionaire Las Vegas Sands owner Miriam Adelson, although Sands does not currently operate any U.S. gambling interests.
Trump is also good friends and business partners with the owner of Las Vegas’ Treasure Island, Phil Ruffin.
David is an online casino expert who specializes in online slots and boasts over 10 years experience writing about iGaming. He has written for a wide range of notable publications, including eSports Insider and WordPlay Magazine.
David graduated Derby University with a BA Degree in English Literature and Creative Writing.
