David Ross

David Ross had his career locked in at an age when most are just starting to pack their own school lunch.

His father and mother worked for legendary Las Vegas casino mogul Jackie Gaughan, and through that Ross got to know the Gaughan family at a young age. Additionally, his uncle was a casino manager at the erstwhile Las Vegas Hilton (now Westgate Las Vegas) and later at the MGM Grand.

Completely enthralled with his hometown’s primary industry, Ross knew as far back as middle school that he wanted to earn a living in the casino business. He even mapped out his career trajectory: Start on the casino floor, learn the ins and outs of every department, climb the corporate ladder, and eventually steer his own ship.

His backup plan if things didn’t work out?

“None,” Ross says. “Failure was not an option. Plan B was ‘Pick yourself up and get back to Plan A.’”

Sure enough, thanks in part to his family’s friendship with the Gaughans, Ross landed his first casino-related job in his late teens: parking cars at the Gaughan-owned Barbary Coast on the Las Vegas Strip. Then in 1984, shortly after turning 21, he graduated to dealer. A couple of years hence, it was on to floorman and, later, pit boss.

When Ross took advantage of Barbary Coast owner Michael Gaughan’s offer to participate in the casino’s management development training program, he was well on his way to achieving his dream. Still, he realized he’d eventually stall on the lower rungs of that corporate ladder if he didn’t add some academic knowledge to his budding practical skills.

“Back then, there weren’t a lot of jobs in the casino industry,” Ross says. “This was before the proliferation of gaming — before riverboat and Native American casinos. At that time, only Nevada and New Jersey had gaming. So it was competitive, and I felt having a degree gave me more clubs in my bag, more arrows in my quiver — whatever metaphor you want to use.”

Ross’ parents suggested he leave the state to get his education, and offered to pay for it, even though it would’ve required them taking out a loan on their house. “I wouldn’t hear of it,” Ross says.

Two other factors at play: Ross wasn’t about to give up his full-time gig at the Barbary Coast. And having recently gotten married — Ross and his wife of 41 years, Patricia, met at the Barbary Coast — he wasn’t going to uproot his new bride.

That left one option: his hometown school.

So in the late 1980s, Ross enrolled at UNLV as a part-time business management student. However, he was determined to pay his own way — which meant taking on a second job. Thus began a grueling schedule that would see Ross work all day, attend classes in the evening, and somehow find time for studying in between.

“The college experience was definitely different for me,” he says. “A lot of my fellow students would go to parties, but when I started at UNLV, I was working 50 hours a week. And it grew from there. 

“Add in the fact that I was married, and the only thing I had time to do on campus was attend classes and study in the library. Other than collaborating with students on assignments and occasionally attending games, I didn’t participate in a lot of activities.”

Despite being a nontraditional student, Ross still developed a strong connection to UNLV and a deep appreciation for the education he was receiving, particularly when he started diving into his business management studies. That appreciation was so profound that even before completing his degree, Ross made a commitment to be involved with the university post-graduation. 

“It was a promise I made as an undergraduate student, to give something back in some way,” he says.

Ross would get his first opportunity in the early 2000s when he returned to campus to pursue his graduate degree. Shortly after Ross began his studies, Stuart Mann — then the dean of the William F. Harrah College of Hospitality — asked if he wanted to teach an Introductory to Casino Management class to hospitality students.

It was an easy “yes” for Ross. Not only did his UNLV professors have a positive impact during his undergraduate years, but he had a direct family connection to the education profession: After her kids left the nest, his mother embarked on a second career as a second-grade teacher in the Clark County School District. Along the way, Patricia Ross earned undergraduate (’86) and master’s degrees (’92) from UNLV.

Another easy yes for Ross, who by now was an executive at Coast Casinos: forgoing his adjunct professor salary, which he donated to charity. That launched a tradition of giving that has spanned more than two decades. Among the entities that have greatly benefitted from Ross’ generosity: UNLV. And it has gone far beyond Ross just opening his wallet.

“I ran into [then-interim UNLV president] Don Snyder one day and said, ‘Don, I hire a lot of UNLV students, I have businesses in Las Vegas, and I firmly believe that a strong university is correlated to a strong local economy. I want to do my part to help UNLV,’” Ross recalls. “Not long after, I joined the board of the UNLV Foundation.”

He’s been there ever since, serving in multiple capacities over the past dozen years, from trustee to vice-chair to chair. Among Ross’ colleagues on the UNLV Foundation are George Maloof, Randy Garcia, trustee emeritus Chip Johnson, and current chair Tony Sanchez. All are past recipients of the Fred C. Albrecht Outstanding Alumnus Award, given in recognition of their tireless commitment to UNLV. 

Now, Ross joins that illustrious club as the 2025 Outstanding Alumnus winner. He also stands alongside fellow alumnus and UNLV Foundation trustee (and past chair) Greg McKinley, the 2023 recipient of the Patrick T. Smith Achievement in Service Award.

Two other trustees with whom Ross gets to work alongside at the Foundation: his mentor, Michael Gaughan — a founding member of the UNLV Foundation — and Gaughan’s business partner, Tito Tiberti.

“Of course, it’s quite an honor, one that I accept with tremendous gratitude,” Ross says. “I have such reverence for UNLV and the education I received. Being able to play a small part in helping the university raise money has been very rewarding. Hopefully it sets an example for our newer alumni. After all, through our education, the university has given us the tools to go out and be successful in our careers.”

Speaking of successful careers, you might be wondering if Ross achieved his teenage dream of reaching the pinnacle of casino management. Indeed he did, on multiple fronts.

His 25-year tenure with Coast Casinos included stints as director of hotel operations (The Orleans Hotel & Casino), vice president/general manager (both the Barbary Coast and Suncoast), and chief operating officer. Ross took over the latter role shortly before Coast Casinos was acquired by Boyd Gaming in 2004, and remained in the position for four years.

Following his 2008 departure from Boyd Gaming, Ross served as CEO for Affinity Gaming for more than five years before launching his own company, Gaming Asset Management Enterprises, in 2014. A year prior, he joined JW Marriott/Rampart Casino in the Summerlin area of Las Vegas and currently serves as the property’s president and board member. 

If that wasn’t enough, Ross also is principal of Clarity Game Nevada and Clarity Game Colorado, which together own and operate three casinos.

“I grew up with a lot of [gaming-industry] influence around me,” Ross says. “So I was very fortunate to realize in my teens what I wanted to do for a living. Most people that age don’t have any idea what they want to do; I knew exactly where I wanted to be: I wanted to be a general manager of a hotel-casino, and eventually an owner.”

And he got there — with a little help from UNLV.

How would you describe your experience as an undergraduate student?

To be honest, my first two years taking the core classes you’re required to take, it was boring. I was a business major and I wanted to get right into the program — that’s all that interested me.

I remember having conversations with my wife and mother, telling them, “I’m not sure how early English literature or the History of Rock ’n Roll is going to help me in my business career.” And both of them said the same thing: This will make you a more well-rounded person and expand your horizons.

Of course, the later in life I got, I gained more appreciation for those types of [non-business] classes that I may not have wanted to take when I was student.

So what was the moment when you absolutely knew you made the right choice to become a Rebel?

I may not have had a full appreciation for those core classes the first two years, but certainly from the minute I started taking business classes, I knew I made the right decision. I was hooked.

Remember, I was writing the tuition checks myself. Actually, I had to work two jobs to pay for this education. But I did it knowing it was going to pay off in the long run. And it absolutely did.

How did your business classes — and later, your hospitality classes in graduate school — help position you for professional success?

One thing I really appreciated is that UNLV often invited subject-matter experts into the classroom. In fact, some of my favorite instructors weren’t just faculty.

For instance, in my business law class, the professor would bring in judges, prosecutors, and private attorneys to provide some real-world practical insight that supplemented the coursework. And that happened across multiple disciplines — business, marketing, gaming, law.

In one of my management classes, we had a [visiting] instructor who learned under Peter Drucker, who is widely regarded as the father of modern management. This instructor taught at USC, Cal-Berkeley, and UNLV. 

Being exposed [to these professionals] in a classroom setting was so valuable; it’s an opportunity that isn’t always afforded to undergraduate students at other institutions. 

And this carried over to my graduate program, which was even better. That’s why I encourage anyone who is considering pursuing their graduate degree to do so. The amount of information and knowledge I gathered as a graduate student absolutely helped shape my business career. For me, it was the equivalent of attaching a super charger to a car.

Both my mother and my daughter Rebecca can attest to that, as they’re also dual UNLV graduates. In fact, Rebecca is currently pursuing her second graduate degree.

A recent UNLV graduate who is hoping to enjoy a long, successful career in casino management approaches you and asks for one “must do” and one “must don’t.” What’s your response?

The one “must do” is learn as much as possible about every department, every aspect of the business. It’s the only way to truly know how the entire operation runs, and it will make you a more effective and compassionate leader.

Also, be willing to start at the bottom and work your way up. A lot of young people these days think because they have a [degree] that they know everything when they begin their career. The reality is practical experience is pivotal, and that experience starts on the ground floor.

As for what not to do: Don’t get caught up in the gaming aspect and start playing in casinos every day because you want to learn slots or learn table games. If you’re not careful, you can get caught up in it and make the wrong decisions or follow the wrong crowd. 

Every career is filled with challenges and rewards. What is one of the greatest challenges you have encountered, and what has been your most meaningful professional reward?

The greatest challenges have been the black swan events: 9/11, the financial crisis in 2008, and COVID.

After 9/11, the Strip was dark. Every [hotel-casino] furloughed everybody. Coast Casinos didn’t. We kept our employees working. We got creative, we faced the challenges and, working with my mentor Michael Gaughan, we learned to deal with adversity. We stood by our employees during that dark time, and they stood by us.

Same exact thing during The Great Recession, as well as COVID. With regard to the pandemic: There was nothing in college that included modeling that kind of worst-case scenario — when you’re literally shut down and you can’t function.

That type of adversity forces you to find a different gear that you didn’t know you had while also recognizing that your employees’ livelihoods are at stake. 

There was no owner’s manual for any of those catastrophic events. But ultimately, we got through them. 

The greatest professional reward would have to be being part of a team that helped build a successful business. And I use the word “team” intentionally, because that’s what we are. We’re family. We spend as much time on property with each other as we do our actual families. 

I got the privilege to spend the first 25 years of my career with Michael Gaughan at Coast Casinos. When we sold that company to Boyd Gaming, it was part of the third-largest gaming company in the United States. It was extremely rewarding to help build that.