Business motto sustains Arizona Charlie’s as it celebrates 35 years serving Las Vegas

Blake Sartini II, executive vice president of operations for Golden Entertainment, poses by a roulette wheel on the casino floor at Arizona Charlies Decatur Wednesday, April 12, 2023. The locals casino-hotel will celebrate 35 years of operation with cake and Champagne on Friday, April 28.

Monday, April 24, 2023 | 2 a.m.

Despite moving from Las Vegas to Pahrump more than a decade ago, longtime Arizona Charlie’s Decatur employee Amy Teel still makes the one-and-a-half-hour commute to and from work each day.

Why?

“I mostly love my guests,” said Teel, who has worked at the property for nearly 25 years. “I come back every day for them because we’ve become family. I mean, I’ve known most of them since I’ve been here.”

Teel, who runs the keno department at Arizona Charlie’s Decatur, called the casino northwest of the Strip her “happy place.” Though she’s watched it change hands multiple times over the years, Arizona Charlie’s Decatur has always stayed true to its motto of “Locals Serving Locals,” Teel said.

With Arizona Charlie’s Decatur celebrating its 35th anniversary this month, operator Golden Entertainment aims to maintain the hotel-casino’s reputation as a reliable choice for locals, while also keeping it fresh with new amenities.

“I think the mindset here has always been offering our customers a five-star experience with a three-star value,” said Blake Sartini II, the Golden Entertainment executive vice president of operations, citing the array of food and beverage options at Arizona Charlie’s Decatur, its state-of-the-art bingo room and popular entertainment, from trivia to tribute bands.

The property opened in 1988, Sartini said, as one of the only Las Vegas properties at the time appealing primarily to locals, and among the first to promote a theme of “Western flair” popular in the valley. It became known by locals — including a then-adolescent Sartini — for its bowling alley, parking lot rodeos and breakfasts under $1.

Though none of the above have survived the test of time, Arizona Charlie’s Decatur has continued to attract locals by other means. The institution was given a “facelift,” completed in 2021, that included the addition of a Dunkin’ and PT’s Express, which join the recently renovated Sourdough Cafe.

Events at the hotel-casino’s sleek entertainment area take place five days a week, and are free to locals.

As the neighborhood around it has changed, so too has Arizona Charlie’s Decatur, Sartini said. There’s been a lot of growth in the area, and the property has sought to adapt accordingly through renovations and rebranding.

He pointed to upcoming food and beverage options from River Rock Pizza & Pasta, a restaurant chain slated to open a location at Arizona Charlie’s Decatur, as an example.

“Yes, it’s going to be an amenity to the Charlie’s property, but it should also be an amenity to the neighborhood,” Sartini said. “And we wear that proudly — really trying to help the city reinvent itself, especially in this corridor, with what we’re being able to bring to the table in Charlie’s.”

One aspect of the property that has not changed since opening more than a quarter-century ago, Sartini said, is its customer service. Staff at Arizona Charlie’s Decatur see many of the same customers multiple times a week, so they already know what they want to drink or play.

“If you look at the property, you can see that it’s limited in amenities compared to other local properties,” he said. “But I think what continues to make this property successful is our team members, and the approach that we have with our customers.”

Guests at the hotel-casino are often greeted by name, which Teel said she knows is appreciated. She compared the friendliness of the property’s environment to that of the bar in the TV show “Cheers” — “where everybody knows your name.”

“They’ve, to a certain degree, become our friends,” Teel said of the relationship between employees and patrons at Arizona Charlie’s Decatur. “And so guests care about us the same as we care about them, therefore, ‘Locals Serving Locals’ — there’s no truer statement.”