The casino company that is buying the Tropicana today announced the appointment of a new executive to oversee that property and the M Resort in Henderson.
Penn National Gaming said in a statement that Bob Sheldon will serve as president of its Las Vegas operations effective July 6. Wyomissing, Pa.-based Penn has controlled the M for several years and revealed plans in April to acquire the Tropicana for $360 million. The deal is expected to close later this year.
A view of the M Resort in Henderson.
Sheldon is currently the general manager of the Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kan.
He has plenty of ties to Las Vegas: He started his career at the Las Vegas Hilton (now the Westgate) and was also employed by Mirage Resorts (now part of MGM Resorts International), where he was president of the Golden Nugget.
“Bob has been a key member of our integration planning team as we begin to lay the foundation for a smooth transition at Tropicana Las Vegas,” Jay Snowden, Penn’s chief operating officer, said in the statement. “He has a deep knowledge of not only the Las Vegas market but how to successfully run large resort operations...Bob is ideally suited to drive our Las Vegas strategy forward and lead the Tropicana Las Vegas in its next phase of growth and long-term success.”
Anthony Marnell
M Resort President Anthony Marnell will take on a new “strategic consulting” position for Penn through which he’ll focus on “community and political relations” in addition to the company’s long-term Las Vegas plans. Marnell and Marnell Corrao Associates designed and built the M, which opened in 2009.
“Going forward, Penn National will benefit from Anthony’s expertise and knowledge of Nevada gaming and the greater Las Vegas business and political landscape,” Snowden said. “As we integrate Tropicana Las Vegas into our growing property portfolio and further refine the operations at the resort, Anthony’s casino, design and construction expertise will also be invaluable to our entire team as we focus on the long-range master planning of our operations in Las Vegas.”