Fortune Club Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, Triblend Tee

Venue Description

There were two “Fortune Club” casinos in Downtown Las Vegas. The first one, the subject of this bio, was at 109 Fremont St. from 1953 to 1958 and offered slots, blackjack, and bingo. It was run by Cecil Lynch, Harry Gordon, and Robert Van Santen. In December 1957, Lynch and Gordon planned a new club using the “Fortune” name to open on New Year’s Eve. Van Santen opposed this because he didn’t want the name used by another establishment. So Van Santen renamed his venue the Nevada Club, while Lynch and Gordon’s new venue became Cecil Lynch’s Fortune Club, but completely unrelated to the original. In 1969, the original Fortune Club property was purchased by the Golden Nugget and absorbed into its expanding complex.