Executives from Boyd Gaming, MGM and Caesars picked for UNLV stadium board

11 September 2013

LAS VEGAS -- A University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) effort to build a new on-campus football stadium and entertainment center moved forward Tuesday with the naming of three resort-casino executives to a new 11-member stadium board.

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority board picked one of its own members, Boyd Gaming Corporation Chief Operating Officer Paul Chakmak, as its representative on the UNLV stadium board. Chakmak has an investment banking background and was Boyd’s chief financial officer in the past.

The authority board also nominated executives from two powerhouse casino companies to the stadium panel: Rick Arpin, senior vice president and corporate controller of MGM Resorts International, and Sean McBurney, assistant general manager of Bally’s, Paris and Planet Hollywood for Caeser’s Entertainment.

MGM is building its own 20,000-seat arena, but UNLV officials have said they don’t expect their football stadium to compete against MGM’s project for sports and entertainment shows.

Under state law, the UNLV stadium board would have to approve the appointments of Arpin and McBurney, but that is expected to be a formality.

Eight of the 11 seats on UNLV’s stadium board are now filled. University officials are waiting for the governor, the Assembly speaker and the Senate majority leader to each appoint a member to round out the board.

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas won legislative approval for a stadium district and authority board earlier this year. The stadium board will develop cost, scope and funding options for the on-campus center.

UNLV discarded a previous proposal to build a $900 million, 60,000-seat domed stadium called the “Mega-Events Center” because it was too expensive.

A few months go, UNLV also pulled the plug on its former private stadium partner, Majestic Realty, choosing its current course in a direct partnership with the resort industry.

Don Snyder, one of four UNLV stadium board members appointed by the Nevada Board of Regents, welcomed the trio of casino executives as fulfilling the university’s new strategy. Snyder previously served as UNLV’s stadium point-man when the Mega Events Center was still in play.

“They’re high-profile appointments. They won’t be lone voices from their companies,” Snyder told the Review-Journal.

“It’s so important to have a broad-based partnership between the university and the resort community.”

Besides Snyder and the three casino executives on the UNLV board, the other stadium panel members are lawyers Mike Wixom and James Dean Leavitt; ad agency owner Cedric Crear; and Clark County Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani.

Wixom, Leavitt and Crear are also Board of Regents members. Chakmak, Arpin and McBurney could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

Snyder said that he worked with Chakmak at Boyd Gaming when Snyder was the company’s president and that Chakmak’s banking background will help the stadium board.

By law, the UNLV stadium board must convene in October, with all 11 members in place.

Related Links
Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority Gaming Vendor Information
Boyd Gaming Gaming Vendor Information


Copyright GamingWire. All rights reserved.
Featured Vendors
Goldfinger Monitors
Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association (OIGA) Conference
Goldfinger Monitors
Innovative touch-screen solutions - vibrant lighting, high-def imagery, bright, bold colors
Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association (OIGA) Conference
The biggest little show in Indian gaming! Save the date: Aug 14-16, 2023 in Tulsa!
Global Gaming Expo (G2E)
House Tech Ads
Global Gaming Expo (G2E)
The largest gathering of global, commercial and tribal gaming professionals in North America.
House Tech Ads
Drive quality casino-gambling traffic to your brand from over 70 countries from our premium assets!
Patriot Gaming & Electronics, Inc.
Betson Imperial Parts & Service
Patriot Gaming & Electronics, Inc.
Patriot Gaming…Parts is what we do. Visit us: www.patriotgaming.com
Betson Imperial Parts & Service
Your one stop shop for all your gaming and OEM needs!
Casino Trac - Table Trac, Inc.
Top One Tech Limited
Casino Trac - Table Trac, Inc.
CasinoTrac™ is a full CMS platform, operating in 225 locations, across 13 countries, since 1995.
Top One Tech Limited
GLOBAL TOUCH SOLUTION PARTNER OF CHOICE,10+ years OEM manufacturing,100+ thousand units application
Sunkist Graphics, Inc.
OCR - Online Casino Reports
Sunkist Graphics, Inc.
Specializing in the creation of best-of-breed gaming graphics - slot glass, sign faces, and more
OCR - Online Casino Reports
Delivers highly targeted casino traffic from over 70 countries! Get your casino listed today at OCR!
Casino Network
Casino Schedule Ease
Casino Network
20+ years experience selling refurbished slot machines, parts & glass for all major brands
Casino Schedule Ease
Full Featured & customizable for the complex scheduling needs of table games & other casino depts
New Level Radio
Talisman Group Creators of EZ Baccarat
New Level Radio
Your Casino. Your Music. Your Message.
Talisman Group Creators of EZ Baccarat
With over 800 tables in 150+ casinos, EZ Baccarat is the number one brand in baccarat.
Slot Machines Unlimited
Acres Manufacturing
Slot Machines Unlimited
Exporter of IGT, Williams, AVP, Trimline, Aristocrat, Konami, Bally, & parts over 20 yrs experience
Acres Manufacturing
Cashless Loyalty & Bonusing in a Single Mobile App
Casino City Press
TribalHub
Casino City Press
A leading publisher and distributor of casino and gaming business data and market research reports.
TribalHub
24th Annual TribalNet Conference Sept 18-21, 2023 Town & Country Resort, San Diego, CA
GamblersPick
AmericanChecked
GamblersPick
Share & Read other players' reviews! A top player community-driven portal for online casinos.
AmericanChecked
Background checks for the gaming industry with key & non-key packages & fingerprinting solutions


Your Guide to 14,818 Gaming Industry Suppliers