Maverick announces closure of its two Elko casinos on 30 November

Maverick NV LLC has announced it will permanently close the Maverick Casino Hotel and the Gold Country Inn and Casino in Elko on 30 November 2026 unless a new operator emerges. The company notified the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR) on 28 September that the closures would affect approximately 198 employees at the Maverick Casino Hotel and 41 employees at Gold Country, a total of 239 positions.

## Detail of the notifications and the closure timetable

The letters sent to DETR’s Rapid Response unit, signed by HR director Leticia Flores and published by the department, set 30 November 2026 as the expected contract termination date. The notices include a clause noting that Maverick NV LLC is subject to a bankruptcy proceeding; if a new owner or operator appears, the closures could be avoided or delayed.

The first outlet to report the letters was the Las Vegas Review-Journal on 6 October 2026. The property addresses are listed in the letters: Maverick Casino Hotel, 2065 Idaho Street; Gold Country Inn and Casino, 2050 Idaho Street. Both properties face each other in Elko.

## Relationship with the bankruptcy case and the portfolio sold to Blue Owl

Maverick NV LLC is one of the debtors in the Chapter 11 cases administered under the joint docket of RunItOneTime LLC (formerly Maverick Gaming) in the US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas (Case No. 25-90191) and the individual case of Maverick NV LLC (Case No. 25-90238). Court records show that in 2022 the portfolio that included Gold Country Inn & Casino and the Maverick Casino Hotel Elko was sold to Blue Owl for $47.3 million in a sale-leaseback and leased back to the company.

The debtors’ filing on 10 December 2025 states that the properties leased under the Blue Owl agreement received no bids when the estate was marketed in pieces during the bankruptcy process. The master lease included ten gaming locations in Washington in addition to the Elko properties. At the time of the filing, the annual rent under the agreement was about $17.8 million and the company had not paid rent since April 2025.

An agreement with Blue Owl, acting through Project Evergreen WA LLC and Project Evergreen NV Owner LLC, and with secured creditors contemplated rent concessions of roughly $11.5 million over 12 months and a mechanism to designate each property to a replacement operator or reject it with an orderly shutdown. Judge Alfredo R. Pérez signed the agreed order on 17 December 2025.

## Why Blue Owl’s ownership and the lack of bids matter for Elko

The closure notices follow the logic of the lease contract with Blue Owl: the decision is contractual rather than territorial. The debtors argued in court that they could not operate the properties profitably under the lease terms and that there were no bidders for that package. The December agreement provided a process to transfer assets to new operators, but it did not guarantee buyers.

That leaves the Elko properties in a dual position: Blue Owl is the owner under the sale-leaseback, and any new operator would have to negotiate acceptable operating terms with the landlord. In Washington the founder Eric Persson has stated his intention to reacquire eight gaming venues; in Elko no buyer or operator candidate has been announced.

## Regulatory requirements and timelines for a replacement operator

Nevada requires that anyone operating a casino be licensed by the Nevada Gaming Commission following an investigation by the Nevada Gaming Control Board. As of the Board meeting on 7 October 2026 there are no agendas or public filings related to these properties, Maverick NV LLC or Blue Owl. With fewer than eight weeks until the proposed closure date, a replacement would need either an existing Nevada license or regulators to accelerate a licensing process.

Prospective operators and deal participants must address both regulatory requirements and the contractual terms with Blue Owl; the challenge is not only finding a buyer but finding one acceptable to Nevada authorities and able to reach an economic agreement with the landlord.

## Local impact and the economic context in Elko

The Nevada Gaming Control Board’s monthly report shows win (gaming revenue) in Elko County was $12.3 million in August 2026, a decline of 0.27% year‑on‑year. A state labor-market report using Data Axle data lists the Maverick Casino‑Hotel as the city’s largest employer in its 2026 publication, in the 500–999 employees range — a figure much higher than the 198 cited in the WARN-style notice; the discrepancy reflects differences between published employer listings and current operating staff.

Elko is a small market: losing a large hotel-casino and its neighbour would affect local hotel and gaming supply. Mayor Reece Keener told The Nevada Independent that the properties have been “a fixture in Elko for more than a generation.”

## What to expect in the coming weeks and what interested parties can do

The notices establish a legal minimum point for closure but do not preclude a transition to a new operator within the bankruptcy process. To occur in the available timeframe, a buyer would need to file for or already hold a Nevada license or reach an agreement with a landlord acceptable to Blue Owl.

Industry participants and transaction advisers will need to address three fronts: negotiate terms with Blue Owl, confirm or expedite regulatory filings with the Nevada Gaming Control Board, and prepare employment notices under state law. Service providers and consultancies for regulation and operations b2b will see demand related to due diligence and license-transfer processes.

"If the site transfers to a new owner or operator, the closure could be avoided or delayed," the Maverick NV LLC letters to DETR signed by Leticia Flores state.

The calendar sets 30 November 2026 as the deadline not by whim but by the combination of lease agreements and the lack of bids during the estate sale. The coming weeks will show whether licensed operators appear, whether regulators act with necessary speed, or whether Blue Owl proceeds with closure and cessation of operations in Elko.