Laughlin became a revered figure who would greet staff and guests while strolling through the hotel and casino. Many of his employees were Arizona residents.
In 1991, he donated land and the funds for Laughlin/Bullhead City International Airport. In 1986, Laughlin bankrolled the construction of the Laughlin Bridge connecting Nevada and Arizona. His influence on the region only grew from there. It was the inspector who suggested his surname, according to the Riverside Resort’s website. Postal Service inspector told the casino owner he needed a name to receive mail. It was two years later that the area became Laughlin.
Laughlin bought a boarded-up motel and 6 acres (2.4 hectares) along the riverfront. He visited the Mohave Desert and saw a stretch of land called Tri-State was unoccupied. In 1964, 10 years after buying a gambling business in North Las Vegas, Laughlin sold it for $165,000, according to his biography posted on the resort’s website. “I said, ‘I’m making three times what you are, so I’m out the door,’” Laughlin recalled to the Review-Journal. When Laughlin was in ninth grade, his school principal issued an ultimatum to either stay in school or stay in the slot business, where he made $500 a week.
