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Nighttime illustration of South Point's golden hotel facade, central South Point sign and arched entrance complex.

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South Point Hotel and Casino

South Point began as the South Coast, opening on December 22, 2005, farther south along Las Vegas Boulevard than the established Strip resorts. It emerged from Michael Gaughan’s Coast casino business after Coast’s merger with Boyd Gaming. The new resort served a growing southern Valley neighborhood while also seeking visitors arriving along the tourist corridor.

Start with its history

Editorial illustration of South Point's illuminated hotel and entrance at night, adapted from a user-supplied postcard.

The history of South Point Hotel and Casino.

A brief history of South Point Hotel and Casino

Historical image unavailable.

South Point began as the South Coast, opening on December 22, 2005, farther south along Las Vegas Boulevard than the established Strip resorts. It emerged from Michael Gaughan’s Coast casino business after Coast’s merger with Boyd Gaming. The new resort served a growing southern Valley neighborhood while also seeking visitors arriving along the tourist corridor.

The ownership changed within its first year. Boyd’s company record dates the sale of South Coast to Gaughan to October 25, 2006. Under his ownership, the resort took the South Point name. That was a change of owner and name at an existing property, not the demolition of one casino to make room for another.

The hotel continued to grow. A third tower opened in July 2008. In July 2010, the property announced another expansion of its casino and restaurants, describing a first phase due to open that week. The additions show why its present scale should not be read back into the smaller resort that opened in 2005.

Events beyond casino gaming became central to South Point’s identity. Its arena and equestrian facilities connected the resort to rodeo and horse-show visitors. An operator account of later arena improvements describes Gaughan’s sustained investment in the venue’s presentation and equipment.

Tournament bowling added another audience. In October 2014, the United States Bowling Congress announced the new South Point Bowling Plaza, with tournament operations beginning November 1. The purpose-built facility followed an agreement with USBC, Las Vegas Events and the convention authority. Its tournament role was distinct from ordinary recreational bowling.

When checked in October 2026, South Point remained an operating hotel-casino at 9777 South Las Vegas Boulevard, with its arena, equestrian center and bowling facilities still part of the operator’s offering. These activities help explain how a resort south of the Strip became a destination for visitors with a specific event in mind.

The map identifies an area within the main hotel-casino building. It does not represent an arena entrance, stable access, a surveyed opening-day footprint or the boundary of all the resort’s event grounds.

Read the full history
Sources and context
  1. South Coast opens in December 2005

    Boyd 9 February 2006 results release, opening discussion and propertyclassification: actual 22 December 2005 opening, nine full days in fourthquarter. Relevant body read; not planned date alone.

  2. A resort for the southern Valley

    15 December 2005 contemporaneous report with Boyd spokesman: southValley residents and Coastcustomer geography; pre-opening plans not asserted achievedmarketshare.

  3. The 2006 sale to Gaughan

    Boyd 2006 Form 10 K, NoteSouth Coast Sale and significant-events list: sale closed 25 October 2006 toMichael J. Gaughan, following 2004 Coastmerger. Relevant body read; announcement July 25 is distinct from actual close.

  4. The South Point name and event identity

    Brock Radke 4 December 2025 direct interviews/reporting: Gaughan 2006 buyback/namechange and rodeo/equestrian focus. Relevant indexed passage; full reader 402 respected, not a full-page read.

  5. Hotel growth and the 2010 expansion plan

    Steve Green 12 July 2010 report: third hotel tower opened July 2008; announced 55,000 squarefoot casino/restaurant expansion firstphase plannedFriday. Indexed relevant passage; full 403 respected. No blanket completion claim.

  6. Investment in the arena

    Operator 2018 arena display announcement, Steve Stallworth quotation: sustained Gaughan/Daktronics relationship and arena/bowling equipment. Relevant indexed body; not evidence arena first opened withcasino 2005.

  7. Tournament Bowling Plaza in 2014

    USBC Communications 30 October 2014 primary partner announcement: new purpose-built tournament plaza, operations begin 1 November, April 2013 agreement with USBC/LVE/LVCVA. Relevant body read; then-future tournaments/economicprojections not current facts.

  8. Current South Point resort and address

    Operator homepage read 21 October 2026: active hotel/casino, arena/equestrian center and bowling at 9777 Las Vegas Boulevard South. No hours, prices, stableaccess or event admission promised.

  9. Main hotel-casino building area

    Named South Point building way 472813789 version 5 retrieved 21 October 2026;36.0118,-115.1750 inside, also within broader commercial grounds 276982350 version 11. Building point selected; not all grounds or separate arena.

The July 2010 expansion source describes announced phased work. It is not treated as evidence that every phase opened on the first announced date.

The map identifies the main hotel-casino building area, not equestrian entrances, stable access or all event grounds.

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South Point Hotel and Casino

The map identifies the property area. It does not identify an entrance or a walking route.

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Follow the evidence.

Sources, image credits and the limits of what we know.

Historical sources9 documents and records
  1. South Coast opens in December 2005

    Boyd 9 February 2006 results release, opening discussion and propertyclassification: actual 22 December 2005 opening, nine full days in fourthquarter. Relevant body read; not planned date alone.

  2. A resort for the southern Valley

    15 December 2005 contemporaneous report with Boyd spokesman: southValley residents and Coastcustomer geography; pre-opening plans not asserted achievedmarketshare.

  3. The 2006 sale to Gaughan

    Boyd 2006 Form 10 K, NoteSouth Coast Sale and significant-events list: sale closed 25 October 2006 toMichael J. Gaughan, following 2004 Coastmerger. Relevant body read; announcement July 25 is distinct from actual close.

  4. The South Point name and event identity

    Brock Radke 4 December 2025 direct interviews/reporting: Gaughan 2006 buyback/namechange and rodeo/equestrian focus. Relevant indexed passage; full reader 402 respected, not a full-page read.

  5. Hotel growth and the 2010 expansion plan

    Steve Green 12 July 2010 report: third hotel tower opened July 2008; announced 55,000 squarefoot casino/restaurant expansion firstphase plannedFriday. Indexed relevant passage; full 403 respected. No blanket completion claim.

  6. Investment in the arena

    Operator 2018 arena display announcement, Steve Stallworth quotation: sustained Gaughan/Daktronics relationship and arena/bowling equipment. Relevant indexed body; not evidence arena first opened withcasino 2005.

  7. Tournament Bowling Plaza in 2014

    USBC Communications 30 October 2014 primary partner announcement: new purpose-built tournament plaza, operations begin 1 November, April 2013 agreement with USBC/LVE/LVCVA. Relevant body read; then-future tournaments/economicprojections not current facts.

  8. Current South Point resort and address

    Operator homepage read 21 October 2026: active hotel/casino, arena/equestrian center and bowling at 9777 Las Vegas Boulevard South. No hours, prices, stableaccess or event admission promised.

  9. Main hotel-casino building area

    Named South Point building way 472813789 version 5 retrieved 21 October 2026;36.0118,-115.1750 inside, also within broader commercial grounds 276982350 version 11. Building point selected; not all grounds or separate arena.

What remains uncertain2 notes on context and interpretation
  • The July 2010 expansion source describes announced phased work. It is not treated as evidence that every phase opened on the first announced date.
  • The map identifies the main hotel-casino building area, not equestrian entrances, stable access or all event grounds.
Image credits1 image with source information

Editorial illustration of South Point's illuminated hotel and entrance at night, adapted from a user-supplied postcard.

Vegas Retold AI illustration, adapted from user-supplied postcard; original creator unknown

Source reference: User-supplied postcard received 21 October 2026; URL identifies intended use, not original source.

AI illustration; architecture/detail simplified, postcard overlay removed and actual building lettering retained.

Original creator/date/licence unknown; user requested adaptation and publication, no independent clearance claim.

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