An off-Strip casino will celebrate the grand opening of its new smoke-free gaming expansion next week with a charity slot tournament benefiting 10 Southern Nevada organizations.
Palms hotel-casino will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony Sept. 1 for its new 7,300-square-foot, fully enclosed non-smoking gaming space, which opened to the public on Monday.
The celebration will include the inaugural “Spin It Forward” IGT Charity Slot Challenge, featuring Las Vegas personalities playing slot machines on behalf of local nonprofit organizations, according to a news release.
Each of the 10 participating organizations will receive a $2,500 donation from the San Manuel Gaming and Hospitality Authority, which owns and operates the Palms, for a combined $25,000.
IGT is also providing each organization with $1,000 in slot play for the competition. Participating charities can accept a guaranteed $1,000 contribution or pair with a local personality who will gamble on the organization’s behalf in hopes of increasing the donation.
The participating organizations are Heaven Can Wait Animal Society; UNLV Chapter of Advancing Indigenous Science & Engineering Society; Proud to Rescue Benevolent Fund; Southern Nevada Joint Management Culinary & Training Fund; S.A.F.E. House; PBS Southern Nevada; The Ability Center of Southern Nevada; Make-A-Wish Nevada; Springs Preserve Foundation; and Teach For America Nevada.
The new gaming area, located near the William Hill Sportsbook, features 224 slot machines from nearly a dozen gaming manufacturers and has its own full-service bar. Unlike designated smoke-free sections within a larger casino, the Palms expansion is enclosed and separated from the property’s main gaming floor.
Palms officials previously said the expansion was developed in response to guests seeking additional nonsmoking gambling options.
“Guest feedback drives so much of what we do, and expanding our nonsmoking gaming options is something we’ve heard consistently,” Palms General Manager Kevin Glass said when the project was announced earlier this month.
Tuesday’s celebration will also mark the debut of a permanent Al Vapor Street Tacos food truck on the patio of the new gaming space.
The ribbon cutting and charity slot challenge are scheduled to begin at 4 p.m.
Contact David Danzis at ddanzis@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0378. Follow @AC2Vegas_Danzis on X.
