The Pass Casino in downtown Henderson has entered into an agreement to be acquired by the ownership group of two neighboring properties and is scheduled to shutter August 1 for a year’s renovation.
The sale comes as Pass Casino owner Joe DeSimone of DeSimone Gaming goes before the Nevada Gaming Control Board on Wednesday to seek a license to operate the Bighorn Casino in North Las Vegas and the Longhorn Casino on Boulder Highway in Las Vegas. About 60 employees work at The Pass and DeSimone is expected to take as many of those employees as possible to those two other properties.
DeSimone’s sale to ECL Water Street brings together three of downtown Henderson’s gaming properties under one ownership group. Owned by Marc Falcone and Ron Winchell, ECL operates Emerald Island and Rainbow Club casinos. It is a division of ECL Gaming that has about 50 other properties in Nevada and four casinos in Kentucky, one in New Hampshire, and 26 in Wyoming.
Following the expected August 1 closing, ECL says it will evaluate options to renovate the property and introduce new amenities, ensuring the venue’s evolution complements the ongoing revitalization of the Water Street District.
“The Pass is a cornerstone of this community,” said Tim Brooks, general manager of the Emerald Island and Rainbow Club. “We are honored to welcome The Pass into the ECL family and look forward to building on the strong foundation Joe and his team have established.”
Brooks said the deal came around in late 2025 and ECL ownership thought it would be a good fit to expand the gaming footprint in downtown Henderson. Emerald Island and the Rainbow Club are across the street from The Pass Casino.
“We wanted to expand on the growing Water Street District and east Henderson market,” Brooks said. “A lot of houses are being built in that area and a lot of people are moving to Henderson as the second largest city in the state. For us to expand our footprint downtown, it made sense for one property to have control of all three casinos.”
The Cadence master-planned subdivision about a mile away is one of the fastest growing in the nation, and prompted Boyd Gaming to open its Cadence Crossing casino in the spring. About 7,500 homes have been built so far and several thousand more are set to be built, according to Brooks, who pointed to another residential development about four miles to the east that will add about 3,000 homes.
Emerald Island opened in 2003 and has 440 slots and no table games. ECL acquired the Rainbow Club in 2020, with its 330 slots and no table games. The Pass, which has about 350 slots today, will have between 450 and 500 devices when the remodel is complete.
The Pass opened in 1961 as the Wheel Casino. It was later renamed the Eldorado Casino under subsequent owners Sam and Bill Boyd, the founders of Boyd Gaming. After the casino closed during the pandemic, Boyd sold the property to DeSimone in December 2020, who reopened it as The Pass in April 2021.
When they re-open The Pass following the renovation, Brooks said they plan to add 50 jobs compared to what’s in place today. ECL currently has about 340 employees at its two Water Street casinos.
“We’re going to upgrade the food and beverage, remodel the entire inside, and make it a beautiful property,” Brooks said. “It’s nice now, but we’re going to improve on what Joe DeSimone started. We haven’t defined the full scope of work yet, but that should be forthcoming in the next few months.”
Brooks said the casino business has been great for ECL’s properties and that they are “very bullish on the future of east Henderson and in particular downtown Henderson.”
After the sale of the casino is completed, DeSimone Companies will continue to own and operate Atwell Suites hotel on Water Street. The Atwell is adjacent to The Pass.
“From the day we acquired The Pass, our goal was to honor Henderson’s history, while delivering an exceptional experience for our guests,” DeSimone said. “ECL Gaming has demonstrated a strong commitment to our community and I’m confident they will continue to invest in the success of The Pass for years to come.”
