Las Vegas Hilton

Origins and Early History

The property opened on 2 July 1969 as the Las Vegas International Hotel, a 30-storey, $60 million resort developed by Kirk Kerkorian through International Leisure Corporation. At the time it was the largest hotel in the world, with roughly 1,500 rooms. Hilton Hotels Corporation bought International Leisure in 1970 and renamed the resort the Las Vegas Hilton in 1971, making it the anchor of Hilton's entry into Nevada gaming. Elvis Presley's shows in the hotel's showroom between 1969 and 1976 drew record crowds and established the resort as a Las Vegas landmark.

Casino and Sportsbook

The Hilton gaming floor grew into one of the largest in Las Vegas, offering slot machines, video poker, table games such as blackjack, craps, roulette and baccarat, a poker room, and a keno lounge. The race and sports book was the property's most distinctive asset, earning a reputation as a high-limit book that welcomed sharp bettors and accepted some of the largest wagers in Nevada. Johnny Avello served as director of race and sports book from 1989 to 2005, a period during which the book was regularly quoted in national media ahead of the Super Bowl and other major sporting events. Avello later ran the sportsbook at Wynn Las Vegas, joined DraftKings in 2018, and later moved to WynnBET.

Business Model and Regulation

The Las Vegas Hilton operated under a Nevada gaming license held by a Hilton subsidiary, with regulation by the Nevada Gaming Commission and the Nevada Gaming Control Board. Its revenue model combined hotel accommodation, dining and convention business with casino gaming, including high-limit table play and race and sports betting. The property's convention space and location next to the Las Vegas Convention Center made it a major meetings destination, while Benihana Village and other restaurants supported the resort's non-gaming income.

Rebranding and Succession

Hilton's association with the property ended in 2012, and the resort was renamed LVH – Las Vegas Hotel & Casino. In 2014, Westgate Resorts, founded by David Siegel, purchased the property and renamed it Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino. The casino and the historic race and sports book continue to operate under Westgate's ownership, alongside a hotel of roughly 2,776 rooms and suites. Westgate Resorts is headquartered in Orlando, Florida.

Leadership

The Las Vegas Hilton ceased to exist as a corporate entity under that name in 2012, so there is no current CEO, CTO, COO or other C-suite to list for the historical company. The executive most often associated with the property in the public record is Johnny Avello, who ran its race and sports book from 1989 to 2005. Westgate Resorts founder and CEO David Siegel leads the parent company that owns the property today.

Market Position and Legacy

For most of its life, the Las Vegas Hilton was considered one of Nevada's premier gaming operators, particularly for sports bettors. Its sportsbook set odds and limits that influenced the wider market, and the property's scale made it a direct competitor to other large Strip-adjacent casinos. The Las Vegas Hilton name no longer exists as a corporate entity, but the sportsbook's legacy remains a central part of the Westgate Las Vegas operation today.