Not sure which came first, but both have been there for a very long time. I don’t think there’s a way to know for sure, but my theory with Commercial (and a rather quiet Stockmens) is that Elkos casino market is a locals market. West Wendover is not. West Wendover pulls people in from fast growing (and highly populated) Salt Lake City, Elko pulls people in from, well, Elko. Elkos population is not decreasing, but it’s also not increasing to an amount to where there will be a noticeable amount of new customers every year. Gold Dust West no doubt came after Stockmens and Commercial. Im sure the day they opened the older casinos saw a hit in their business. Over time it became the survival of the fittest. Gold Dust West did things, like the prime rib special, to lure customers in. I have no idea what Stockmens does. Over time gradually people migrated over to the newer properties.
Atlantic City is a good example. I was there they year that (not an exaggeration) almost a third of their casinos closed. There were casinos I remembered being happening places just a few years earlier, that were now very depressing and in very poor shape. Fine example of too many casinos, not enough customers.
Bottom line, I don’t think (again just speculation) the brothels are cutting into the casino’s revenues enough to force them out of business, it’s them putting each other out of business as there are too many of them. If a new one were come to Elko and it’s decent enough I’d be willing to bet that at least one of the older casinos closes.
