Gaming board recommends two for temporary licenses

The executors of two estates that have interests in casinos operating in Southern Nevada have been recommended for temporary licensing by the Nevada Gaming Control Board.

Nancy Lou Deifik, personal representative for the estate of Bruce Deifik, which has a 31 percent interest in the company that operates the

Silver Nugget in North Las Vegas, and Jodi Fonfa, executor of the estate of Andrew Fonfa, which has a 19.3 percent interest in the company that operates Terrible’s Casino in Indian Springs, were recommended for licensing in separate unanimous Control Board votes Wednesday.

Final approvals of the licenses will be considered Jan. 21 by the Nevada Gaming Commission.

Nancy Lou Deifik is the widow of Bruce Deifik, a Colorado-based real estate developer who died in a car accident in Denver in April 2019. Bruce Deifik formerly owned the Ocean Casino in Atlantic City and lost a fortune in the six months that he operated that property.

The estate has an interest in Lucky Silver Gaming LLC, which owns Silver Nugget Holdings LLC and Lucky Lucy D LLC operating the North Las Vegas casino.

The Silver Nugget, open since 1964, includes 14 acres on Las Vegas Boulevard, a 14,000-square-foot event center and a 24-lane bowling center. It is believed to be one of the first casinos to hire women card dealers.

Jodi Fonfa is the widow of Andrew Fonfa, a Las Vegas real estate entrepreneur who developed the Lucky Dragon and the Allure high-rise office and residential complex on Sahara Avenue and died of a heart attack in July.

The Fonfa estate holds an interest in Indian Springs Operating Co. LLC, which operates the new Terrible’s Casino in Indian Springs.

Gaming regulators occasionally address licensure changes resulting from the deaths of license holders.