Gary, the Sahara didn't close in 1982.

What you may be confused by is the listing in "The Gaming Table" which indicates that "Del Webb's Sahara" "closed" in 1982. The hotel never actually shut its doors, but the Del Webb organization sold the hotel in 1982 and it became, again, simply The Sahara.

When casinos change owners and the name changes, which virtually always is the reason that a new rack of chips is issued, we've used the term "closed" to indicate the end of that particular name.

Sometimes a change in ownership doesn't mean a change in casino name, and in that case, we don't indicate a "close" date. An example is Caesars Palace, which has changed ownership several times, but which never had a different name. Another example is the Desert Inn, which has changed hands a number of times, sometimes changing the name, sometimes not.

Have I muddied the waters sufficiently? <G>

Michael