Bobby Baldwin Named CEO of Drew Las Vegas Casino
Bobby Baldwin, a renowned casino executive has been announced as the CEO and chairman of Drew Las Vegas. Baldwin has previously held executive positions. Most recently, MGM Resorts had Baldwin as the chief customer development officer. In the fall of 2018, Baldwin was the CEO and president of CityCenter. He has also served as the president of the Bellagio, the Golden Nugget and the Mirage.
The former world champion poker player will head up the 67-story resort and casino immediately. Baldwin will provide insight and leadership on projects that are important to the long-term growth strategy of the firm.
Drew Las Vegas Postponed
Drew is expected to start operating in the second quarter of 2022. The property was originally expected to open in April 2020. The 67-story resort and casino were remodeled from the failed Fontainebleau. The Fontainebleau Las Vegas project failed due to bankruptcy. Real-estate firm Witkoff and New Valley, a Florida-based investment company bought the property for $600 million in 2017. Drew Las Vegas will have more than 550,000 square feet of convention space. There will be 3,780 rooms, a spa, restaurants, shops, pools and a couple of nightclubs. The $9.2 billion development will feature a state-of-the-art casino. Apart from the observation tower, Drew Las Vegas is the tallest real estate in Las Vegas.
The Rise and Rise of Bobby Baldwin
Bobby Baldwin is a four-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner. Baldwin won the WSOP main event for $210,000 in 1978. Baldwin’s corporate begun in 1982 when he was appointed as a consultant for the Golden Nugget. Shortly after that, he became the president of the casino. In 1987, Steve Wynn hand-picked Baldwin to head up The Mirage, the most expensive hotel-casino in 1989. Baldwin once again became the president of another of Wynn’s properties, the Bellagio. At the time, Baldwin was at the same time the CFO of Mirage resorts. Mirage resort later merged with MGM Grand and become MGM Resorts.
In 2003, Baldwin was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame. There is a high-stakes area known as “Bobby’s Room,” at the Bellagio poker room. The space is named after Baldwin. Recently, Baldwin made it big in the 2012 WSOP. He finished seventh in the $1 million Big One For One Drop for $1.408 million.