51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ will break ground on Thursday, Oct. 16 , for construction of the Stan Fulton Building, the new home of the 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ International Gaming Institute. The ceremony is set for 9:30 a.m. at the building site on the southeast corner of Flamingo Road and Swenson Street.
51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ's William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration faculty and students, executives and members of the gaming industry, including attendees at the International Gaming and Wagering Business Gaming Congress, and members of the UCCSN Board of Regents will join 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ President Carol C. Harter to celebrate the beginning of construction on this 30,000-square-foot facility. The building will be the venue for educational programs to gaming executives, managers, and regulators from around the United States and other nations.
"This is an exciting day for all of us at 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ and particularly for our Hotel College students and faculty," Harter said. "Breaking ground for the Stan Fulton Building is a defining moment for the International Gaming Institute and a wonderful opportunity to honor Stan Fulton, chairman and CEO of Anchor Gaming, whose marvelous gift has made the construction of this building possible."
The $5 million structure will be funded by Mr. Fulton's donation.
Explaining that the 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ International Gaming Institute (IGI) has become a premier source for gaming-manager and gaming-regulator educational programs, Harter said, "We are confident this building, with a state-of-the-art casino laboratory, a large conference center, and an outstanding gaming library, will dramatically enhance the synergy between the IGI's programs and the needs of a dynamic industry."
President Harter added, "The fact that the Board of Regents has approved the naming of this building as the Stan Fulton Building signifies the great respect and appreciation the university community has for Mr. Fulton and his commitment to higher education."
The building was designed by JMA Architecture and construction is scheduled to be completed by early 1999.
Gaming education has been an integral part of the curriculum at 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ since the creation of the College of Hotel Administration in 1967. The Institute was created in 1993 in response to the increasing demand for gaming education, training, and research.
The IGI's mission is to provide educational programs, conduct gaming research, and offer seminars, classes and publications to businesses, governments, and students throughout the world.
According to Shannon Bybee, executive director of the IGI, "The Institute has been actively involved in organizing and planning conferences on critical topics for gaming educators and industry professionals. Subjects addressed include problem and underage gambling, token and currency issues facing the casino industry, and emerging-jurisdiction issues."
Bybee adds, "It has long been our desire to have a dedicated facility for the IGI to better serve the educational needs of the gaming industry. The new Stan Fulton Building will enable the IGI to establish a presence unlike any other educational institution involved in gaming education."
The Stan Fulton Building will serve as a visual anchor and cornerstone for 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ and will incorporate space for a variety of uses:
*To deliver gaming seminar programs through the use of "smart" classrooms and a multi- media conference center;
*To house and display the $1 million IGT Gaming Resource Center, which features the finest gaming business library in the world, the Gary Royer Collection;
*To showcase a state-of-the-art casino lab which will feature the finest gaming equipment and prototypes found at any educational institution.
Bybee concludes, "We anticipate a high level of interest and use of the facility by casino and resort companies. The location of the building on Flamingo Road, with excellent exposure to The Las Vegas Strip, makes it an attractive and convenient setting for off-site training, seminars, conferences and receptions."
For additional information about the 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ International Gaming Institute, please call 702-895-3412.
