George Maloof

George Maloof, Jr., lives a life that most people would envy.  At only forty-five years of age, he owns one of the most popular casinos in Las Vegas, the Palms, along with his brothers, Gavin and Joe.  The brothers also own the National Basketball Association’s Sacramento Kings, a long-time rival of the popular and successful Los Angels Lakers.  George Maloof has appeared in films, TV shows and music videos, and his association with MTV’s “The Real World” reality show and Playboy Magazine have attracted the attention of the most glamorous personalities in sports and entertainment.

Although he hangs out with the “Beautiful People” in his everyday life now, his early life was not nearly as spectacular.  He worked long hours at his father’s beer distributorship in Albuquerque, New Mexico, before attending classes at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas.  It was at UNLV, where he studied hospitality management, that he started to get his first ideas as to how to run a luxury resort, including hotels, casinos, and other attractions.

After graduation, he managed some smaller casino operations, including the Fiesta Casino in North Las Vegas and the Central Palace Casino in Colorado.  When he opened the Palms in 2001, he used an approach that helped put the “Sin” back in “Sin City”.  The attitude that Maloof and others at The Palms conveys is one of loud music, constant partying, and complete abandonment of inhibitions.

In 2002, Maloof agreed to let MTV shoot a new installment of their groundbreaking reality show “The Real World” in one of the hotel’s luxury suites.  Today, guests still request the suite that they saw on that season.  He also opened the Playboy Club, themed after the famous magazine, with high-stakes gambling featuring dealers dressed like the iconic “Playboy Bunnies”.

Maloof’s interests are not limited just to the Palms, although that would be enough to keep most men busy for a lifetime.  He also owns the WNBA’s Sacramento Monarchs and hosts many mixed martial arts fight cards at “The Pearl at The Palms” auditorium.  He has several screen credits, mostly playing himself, including the TV show “Las Vegas” and the Eminem music video “We Made You”.  Success, glamour, fame and money: everyone wants these things, but George Maloof has them all.