Grand Entrance

Seth Schorr is the CEO of one of the most promising gaming companies in Las Vegas, Fifth Street Gaming (FSG). Schorr has been working in the gaming industry almost all his life. After leaving for a brief stint in 2004, he returned in 2006 to cement his status as an emerging industry leader.

Schorr’s experience in the hotel and casino business started at a young age. From 1991 to 1999 he worked in various departments at the Golden Nugget Laughlin, Treasure Island Hotel & Casino and Mirage Hotel & Casino. From human resources to casino marketing, the 37-year-old Schorr was exposed to all aspects of the casino business, and has always referenced this experience throughout his career.

After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania 14 years ago, having majored in Chinese studies, Schorr worked at Bellagio Resort and Casino as an executive in the casino marketing department. In 2000, Schorr left Bellagio to work for Wynn Resorts, where he served as director of interactive gaming and worked to develop an online gaming strategy under the Wynn brand.

In 2002, Schorr shifted gears and was entrusted to develop the Wynn Collection of Fine Art, a $500 million collection of impressionist pieces. The following year, he relocated to Macau as the company’s director of international marketing. After successfully developing the program at Wynn Macau, Schorr decided to take a break from the gaming industry and start his own business in New York.

“Moving to New York and starting an asset recovery business was a challenging and exciting experience,” Schorr recalls. “It fueled my entrepreneurial spirit and laid the groundwork for my current role.”

After two very successful years running the business, Schorr missed the hospitality industry, and missed providing positive, impactful experiences for people. He was able to sell the business and move back to Vegas in a journey that would eventually end with his current position as CEO of Fifth Street Gaming. That path also included stops at then-Speedway Casino and now the Lucky Club. Successes at these stops were parlayed into his newest project, the recently opened Downtown Grand Casino in Downtown Las Vegas.

Schorr credits his success to great mentors including Steve Wynn and his father Marc Schorr.

“Wynn and my father are gaming luminaries that have provided great lessons, and undoubtedly helped mold me and led to my current position,” Schorr explains. “I enjoy my current position, particularly the flexibility that allows me to contribute to everything from high-level strategic planning to the intricate details of picking light bulbs and carpeting for the property. Both of my mentors taught me that while you can think big, it is still imperative to pay attention to the operations and the guest experience.”

For future leaders, Schorr says that finding great mentors and using them is a key to success. While Downtown Grand is only in its early days of operations, it is performing fantastically and Schorr is looking forward to the immense growth potential of the property.