New Era for Two of Cripple Creek’s Iconic Gaming Establishments!

Colorado Grande and Johnny Nolon’s Casinos Officially Change Hands

Former Wildwood Owner Part of New Ownership Guard

Rick Langenberg

After months of speculation, it’s now official

Two of Cripple Creek’s most historic casinos have changed hands and are now under a new ownership guard. Moreover, the final deal represents the return to the forefront of a former casino owner, who was well-known in local circles and considered one of the main proponents of pushing the town into more of a destination area and one that highlighted its historic assets.

Rocky Mountain Gaming CC, LLC (RMG) recently completed their acquisition of Johnny Nolon’s and the Colorado Grande casinos. The company received final licensing approval from the Colorado Division of Gaming at their monthly meeting on September 19.

The deal was actually first announced in December 2023 but had to undergo a number of steps to get finalized.

RMG was founded by David D. Ross, Michael J. Gaughan III and Joseph J. Canfora to seek gaming opportunities throughout the U.S.  Ross and Gaughan have worked together for approximately 30 years in senior management for Coast Casinos, Affinity Gaming and the JW Marriott & Rampart Casino.

Canfora was the previous owner of the Wildwood Casino in Cripple Creek until he sold his operating assets to Golden Nugget in 2022. Canfora has more than 40 years of experience in gaming and hospitality and gained quite a reputation during his previous stint in Cripple Creek.

He often spoke at public meetings about the need to take the town to the next level and highlighting its historic and recreational amenities. He played a key role in the development of the first new major casino hotel addition since 1990s, with the Wildwood Hotel, now called the Golden Nugget Hotel.

“It’s been a long but exciting ride, and we are thrilled to be stepping back into the Cripple Creek community,” Canfora said in a RMG press release.  “We’ve been meeting with the current team members to get their feedback on improvements and, most importantly, we made sure that all of the current team members who want to stay with us have that opportunity.”

Rocky Mountain Gaming CC, LLC plans on honoring and maintaining the historic atmosphere of Cripple Creek while making improvements to enhance the guest experience, according to the RMG owners.

Ironically, the deal was finalized as the town celebrated its 33-year anniversary of limited stakes gaming. Both Johnny Nolon’s and Colorado Grande were among the initial casinos to open their doors during the first month of legal betting in Cripple Creek. Johnny Nolon’s, in fact, opened minutes after the ribbon was cut for limited stakes gaming on Oct. 1, 1991.

They are considered the pinnacles of the town’s gold rush legacy, as both properties have quite a colorful history. Johnny Nolon’s operated previously as a saloon in the 1890s.

This is a historic tradition that many locals have often touted, and that the new owners may try to revitalize. In addition, the new group wants to enhance the visitor experience.

“Michael (Gaughan) and I have been looking for an opportunity to get back into the Colorado gaming market for the last 10 years.” said Ross. “We’ve put together a detailed plan with exciting changes like new slots and updated interiors that we think the guests are going to love.”

Johnny Nolon’s is one of Cripple Creek’s original casinos and, along with the Colorado Grande Casino, is at the heart of the town’s historic gaming district.  Combined, the two properties have approximately 400 gaming devices, seven hotel rooms, and operate several restaurants and bars.

In a previous press release when the deal was first announced at the end of last year, the new owners cited a desire to revive the local atmosphere that many gamers enjoyed. Canfora said the casinos won’t be splashy gambling halls. “I realized the Johnny Nolon’s and Colorado Grande presented the opportunity to maintain the old Cripple Creek casino feel that the locals had grown accustomed to,” said Canfora.

Ross, in a previous article posted on the PlayColorado online gaming website, noted that the two historic casinos will broaden the experience for “visitors who want to play like locals,” and will mesh well with the enhancements done by bigger players, such as Golden Nugget and the Chamonix resort. “Those two operators, at either end of town, will help attract new visitors to Cripple Creek, and we think there is an opportunity for our properties to offer a true locals experience that caters to individuals looking for loose slots and personal service.”

In their original announcement late last year, Rocky Mountain Gaming stated that it “entered into definitive agreements with Minter Holdings, LLC to acquire the operating assets of Johnny Nolon’s Casino, and G Investments LLC to acquire the operating assets of the Colorado Grande Casino. Both properties were managed by David Minter through Minter Holdings LLC

Minter was a mainstay in the Cripple Creek gaming industry for several decades and was often a familiar face at local council meetings. He also was involved with the state gaming association on certain issues.