Famed casino owner Anthony F. Santo has gained the approval to run three of Las Vegas’ most renowned casinos, and he plans to make some big changes to the Plaza Casino, the Las Vegas Club Casino and the Western Casino.

He is currently in negotiations to receive a $20 million loan for renovations at the Plaza, which will include adding new rooms and changing its name to the Union Plaza. He also hopes to change the theme of the Las Vegas Club. The Western, however, will not undergo many renovations.

Despite the hard time that Las Vegas has recently experienced, Santo believes that there will be an upswing for the city soon, making his renovations worth the time and money that they will cost. He says that he has seen positive signs for Las Vegas’ downtown area and hopes to cash in early by taking on the responsibility of these three casinos.

Santo is currently a consultant for the gaming company Tamares, but he will continue to hold his position while he manages the Plaza, the Western and the Las Vegas Club. He has already managed a wide array of casinos across Las Vegas and Reno, and believes that he can do a great deal to improve the casinos themselves and their profits.

Recently, casino operator Steve Wynn has come under fire for requiring dealers to split their tips with the supervisors. The case was taken to the Nevada Labour Commission, which ruled that Wynn’s tip out system was not illegal.

Over the past year, Labour Commission has debated this decision, undergoing several public hearings as dealers fought for their right to keep their own tips. Dealers at Encore Casino will now also have to abide by Wynn’s rules. However, dealers who are now bound by the new rule have stated that they will be taking legal action with the Supreme Court.

“We know this will be a long battle” says Wynn Dealer Meghan Smith. “Its only Round One of Round Three”.

Because the decision was so thorough and underwent so many different hearings, legal experts believe that the dealers will not be able to win their appeal against the company. But, the dealers and their supporters do not believe that just because the tip-splitting system was made illegal, that it isn’t necessarily right.

Although the decision has encouraged other casinos like Ceasar’s Palace to adopt similar tip pool systems, many Las Vegas casinos are keeping their own systems in place. Harrah’s has spoken out recently to state that it will not follow Wynn’s lead and will allow dealers to keep their own tips.