Choose Hobson's Casinos

Richard 'Pick' Hobson came to be in Illinois on May 15, 1911. He headed west in 1929, eventually landing in Reno where he worked being a dealer on the Palace Club. After gaining some experience, plus some friends, Pick invested his cash in a gaming operation with the Colombo Club at 244 Lake Street, in the Colombo Hotel. The Toscano Hotel, just across the street, housed advertising for Pick's clubs for years, reminding those driving by, to check out his other casinos.
Joe Hobson, Pick's brother, joined him inside a casino found in the tiny town of Hawthorne, Nevada during the Second World War, if the munitions facility is at full swing. Also arrived were the constantly fighting service men around, working at the munitions facility. The Pick returned to Reno in 1943 and opened 'Pick's Club,' which reopened in 1946 because Frontier Club when Joe committed to the casino at 220 North Virginia Street.
The casino featured a bar, craps, 21, and roulette, including a race-horse book. A bingo hall was put in 1948, and 30 slot machines were brought-in by Virgil Smith. Later a Keno game was added and the table games expanded. By 1956 when the club was sold to Bill Harrah, there was 172 slot machines.
Harrah paid nearly $1 million to the casino, and a part of his final cost was a stipulation that Hobson wouldn't operate another casino for three years. In 1960, Pick purchased the Overland Hotel, just around the corner on Commercial and Center Street. The club backed-up to his old Lake Street casino.
In 1970, Pick purchased the Cosmo Club, that she operated for four years until it was closed so he could expand the Overland. At the same time, Pick was operating the Gold Club in Sparks, and also the Topaz Lodge with the California State Line.
Once again, Bill Harrah came knocking, offering to lease the Overland, get more info though the hotel and casino immediately closed and also the property was demolished in June 1977. The Cosmo Club has also been demolished, and Harrah purchased the Riverside hotel casino from Jessie Beck and traded it to Hobson in exchange for the Overland and Cosmo Club land.
Pick Hobson was the past owner of the Riverside casino, which closed in December 1986. An auction of slots and memorabilia from the Riverside and also the Overland happened, and the hotel closed in November 1987. Pick transferred to Portola, California soon afterwards. He passed away August 19, 1996, always remembered as a very congenial boss who did his far better to take care of his employees.

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