Select Hobson's Casinos

Richard 'Pick' Hobson was given birth to in Illinois on May 15, 1911. He headed west in 1929, eventually landing in Reno where he worked as a dealer in the Palace Club. After gaining some experience, plus some friends, Pick invested his money in a gaming operation at the Colombo Club at 244 Lake Street, inside the Colombo Hotel. The Toscano Hotel, just across town, housed advertising for Pick's clubs for many years, reminding those driving by, to go to his other casinos.
Joe Hobson, Pick's brother, joined him in the casino perfectly located at the tiny city of Hawthorne, Nevada in the Second World War, once the munitions facility was in full swing. Also arrived were the constantly fighting service men in the city, working on the munitions facility. The Pick returned to Reno in 1943 and opened 'Pick's Club,' which reopened in 1946 because the Frontier Club when Joe invested in the casino at 220 North Virginia Street.
The casino featured a bar, craps, 21, and roulette, along with a race-horse book. A bingo hall was put in 1948, and 30 slots were brought-in by Virgil Smith. Later click here a Keno game was added and the table games expanded. By 1956 when the club was sold to Bill Harrah, there are 172 video poker machines.
Harrah paid nearly $1 million for the casino, and portion of his price was a stipulation that Hobson would not operate another casino for three years. In 1960, Pick purchased the Overland Hotel, just around the corner on Commercial and Center Street. The club backed-up to his old Lake Street casino.
In 1970, Pick purchased the Cosmo Club, that they operated for four years until it was closed so he could expand the Overland. At the same time, Pick was operating the Gold Club in Sparks, along with the Topaz Lodge in the California State Line.
Once again, Bill Harrah came knocking, offering to lease the Overland, nevertheless the hotel and casino immediately closed as well as the property was demolished in June 1977. The Cosmo Club has also been demolished, and Harrah purchased the Riverside hotel casino from Jessie Beck and traded it to Hobson in exchange to the Overland and Cosmo Club land.
Pick Hobson was the last owner of the Riverside casino, which closed in December 1986. An auction of slots and memorabilia from the Riverside and also the Overland occured, along with the hotel closed in November 1987. Pick gone to live in Portola, California soon afterwards. He perished August 19, 1996, always remembered like a very congenial boss who did his far better to take care of his employees.

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