Industry visionary Terry Lanni named recipient of G2E's 2012 Sarno Award

(US).- Global Gaming Expo (G2E) announced that the late Terry Lanni, longtime gaming industry veteran and former head of MGM Mirage, has been named as the recipient of the 2012 Sarno Award for Lifetime Achievement in Casino Design.

2012-09-20

United States

Reading time 1:29 min

(US).- Global Gaming Expo (G2E) announced that the late Terry Lanni, longtime gaming industry veteran and former head of MGM Mirage, has been named as the recipient of the 2012 Sarno Award for Lifetime Achievement in Casino Design.

The award will be presented at the conclusion of the Casino Design Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, October 2, at 5:30 p.m. at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in conjunction with G2E.

"Terry Lanni's leadership and vision are key reasons for the current state of design on the Las Vegas Strip, and the entire gaming industry. Without his involvement for more than 30 years, our industry literally would look very different," said Frank J. Fahrenkopf, Jr., president and CEO of the American Gaming Association (AGA), which along with Reed Exhibitions, produces G2E. "We are proud to recognize him with the highest honor the Casino Design Awards can offer."

Lanni began his career with Caesars World in 1977 when he was named chief financial officer. He led the company's entry into Atlantic City where a converted Howard Johnson's was turned into Caesars Boardwalk Regency, creating impressive revenues for the company. Later in Las Vegas, Lanni demonstrated his eye for the future of the industry when, as president of the company, he approved construction of the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace. In a short while, the Forum Shops became the most successful shopping mall in the world, starting a trend for retail to be included in nearly all future casino resorts.

After 18 years at Caesars, Lanni joined MGM Grand in 1995 as president and CEO, where he led a design renaissance within the company's existing properties. He helped to engineer the purchase of Mirage Resorts in 2000 and the even larger purchase of the Mandalay Resort Group in 2005. When Lanni joined the company, it operated one casino, MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

When Lanni retired in 2008, MGM had full ownership of 17 casino resorts in Nevada, Mississippi and Michigan and 50 percent ownerships in four other properties in Nevada, New Jersey, Illinois and Macau. Lanni presided over the MGM Resorts board of directors when it approved the amazing CityCenter development, which has become one of the must-see attractions in Las Vegas.