![]() ![]() He developed an inside perspective into the games and the players, further fueling his hunger for the casino industry. Steve eventually learned both sides of the industry - Service and Strategy. Steve would lie on the catwalks with binoculars, watching the players and studying the action. ![]() When he wasn't in class, Steve stalked the casinos, trying to figure out how to apply the lessons learned in college to the behaviors displayed by the players and employees on the casino floor. Gaughan immediately recognized Steve's passion for the casino world and allowed the exceptionally aggressive, and barely legal, 21 year old to get in on the action! He took full advantage of this unique opportunity. This internship became a turning point in Steve's life. In his final year at UNLV, Steve's hard work and perseverance paid off he was selected as one of a handful of students for a coveted internship at Barbary Coast, working under renowned casino mogul Michael Gaughan. Steve took as many gambling-related classes at UNLV as he possibly could - casino management, marketing, mathematics - seeking out courses that would provide him with a greater understanding of the probabilities and strategies of the casino games and offer him insight into the psyche of the players. He was in awe of the action and excitement and developed an insatiable appetite for both. This decision to attend UNLV proved to be life changing! The bright lights and frenetic pace of Las Vegas mesmerized Steve and immediately drew him in. Steve realized his first dream of pursuing a degree in hotel management when he was accepted into the program at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. His plan was to leave for school, then return to Salina, armed and ready to take over the family hotel. At the age of 16, at the prompting of a family friend, he decided he wanted to go to college and major in hotel management. The son of a Howard Johnson Hotel operator, he always planned on taking over the family business and made no secret of it! Steve regularly worked at the Howard Johnson and prided himself on delivering the highest levels of customer service. Born and raised in Salina, Kansas, a small town a world apart from the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas, Nevada, Steve enjoyed a modest upbringing. ![]()
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