Rebranding and other changes for Bigfot Casino wil take time
company’s gaming devices at
and the Dragon Tiger Casinos
in neighboring Central City.
in there now. We’re not going
to replace all of them. We
might get some new machines
because some of them in there
Continued from page 1
One of the key tasks con-
cerns the slot machines
currently at the Z Casino,
Gaming, also known as RunI-
tOneTime LLC. Maverick filed
for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
protection in a federal court in
Texas in July. The bankruptcy
proceedings included several
in Colorado and other states.
The Z Casino, previously
called Bullwhackers, opened
during the early years of gam
ing in Black Hawk.
“They put all of the slot
monitoring and surveillance
systems [from the three
casinos] into one big com-
puter network up at Grand
Z,” Smith explained. “In order
for us to get going, we have to
order [computer] servers from
China. Then we’ve got to get
them programmed. It could
take a long time to get the
stuff from China.”
In addition, Smith will
need to order new indoor and
outdoor signage for the build
ing as it rebrands from the
Z to the Bigfoot Casino. The
signage will require approval
–
ty Development Department.
any issues with the new signs.
“We’ve got a sophisticated
Springs that most sign people
don’t have.”
Once that’s completed, slot
machine manufacturers –
Konami, Light and Wonder
– will come to the Bigfoot
Casino to update any ma-
chines Smith decides to keep.
According to court docu-
ments, Z Casino has 313 slot
machines across its three
of a Maverick computer net-
work that also connects to the
Smith’s Bigfoot Casino will
also need to obtain a liquor
license from the City of Black
few months and includes a
public hearing and approval
by the city’s Board of Alder-
men.
Be prepared before the next power outage.
Another item on Smith’s
checklist will be to create a
doorway connecting the Big-
foot and Sasquatch casinos,
so patrons can freely walk
between them. “I’d like to get
a set of stairs built like Bull
whackers had [to connect the
casinos]. Bullwhackers had a
set of stairs, and I’d like to get
them put back in,” said Smith.
The businessman’s $25 mil-
lion purchase of the Z Casino
parking lot – something the
Sasquatch lacks – and a gray
metal building across the back
driveway from the casino that
includes office space, a confer-
ence room and a maintenance
shop. Smith noted, “They’ve
kind of kept us out of everything
until they get ready to leave.”
Smith doesn’t yet know how
though he joked that he plans
to remove any “No Sasquatch
Z Casino property. “I have
I was thinking of going over
there and making a video of us
crushing that sign,” he mused.
Ed Smith in front of “Harry,” the statue namesake for
before that, such as upgrading
the computer system.”
the two Central City Maverick
the bankruptcy proceedings.
(Editor’s note: Marnell
Companies didn’t respond
to the WR-C’s request for an
interview or information
about its plans for the Grand
Z or Dragon Tiger casinos in
–
quired as part of the Maver-
Decisions about staffing,
hours and operations will also
face the new owners. Does
Smith have a date for when
he will receive the keys to the
Z Casino? “No, I don’t at this
just got a lot of stuff to do
For the time being, Mav-
erick Gaming continues to
operate the Z, Grand Z and
Dragon Tiger casinos until
Smith takes over the Z Casino
and Marnell Companies an-
nounces its plans to take over
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Black Hawk businessman and casino owner Ed Smith purchased the Z Casino on Gregory
a surface parking lot and a gray metal building (right of center), both accessible from Selak
Street.
Drone photo by Don Ireland
