Don Laughlin

Who is Don Laughlin?

Donald J. "Don" Laughlin is an American gambling entrepreneur, hotelier and rancher for whom the town of Laughlin, Nevada, is named.

A native of Owatonna, Minnesota, Laughlin worked winters during his youth as a fur trapper. He took the profits and used them to purchase slot machines for installation in hunting lodges. The young businessman was making $500 a week when his school principal gave him an ultimatum: get out of slots or get out of school. Since he was making more than three times what the principal was, he got out of school.

Laughlin moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, in the late 1950s and purchased his first casino, the "101 Club." By 1964, Laughlin had sold the 101 Club. That same year, Laughlin was flying his private plane over the California/Arizona/Nevada tri-state area near the Colorado River. Growth in the area, specifically in Bullhead City and Kingman in Arizona, and Needles in California, was spurred by the construction of nearby Davis Dam, completed in 1951. The area was also a major stop along Route 66. It was during that flight that Laughlin envisioned the potential of the area as a resort destination. Soon after, he purchased a shuttered, eight-room riverfront motel on 6.5 acres for US$250,000. Though the landowner had several offers, he decided to sell the property to Laughlin because of his previous casino background.