A Las Vegas-based gambling company today completed it’s takeover of the Lakeside Casino in Osceola. Herbst Gaming bought the casino and two in Missouri last July from the estate of William Grace. Company president Ed Herbst says while they’re adding their trademark “Terrible’s” name to the Lakeside casino — they don’t plan any changes in management. He says all the managers have been in the industry and involved in casinoes for some time, so they’ll just be bringing the managers up to speed with the “Herbst philosphy” of marketing and food. Herbst told the Racing and Gaming Commission in January that they plan to “upgrade” the casino with new paint and carpet and also want to expand the hotel. Herbst says that won’t lead to any new jobs right away, but maybe down the line. He says right now they have over 500 employees and there aren’t any plans to increase that employment, but he says as they look at potential changes in the food and entertainment, there could be some growth in three or four months. Herbst says using terrible to describe a business might seem a little odd, but he says it goes back to a nickname given his grandfather by co-workers in his grandfather’s oil business. He says the co-workers would go into a town where his grandfather planned to expand his business and put up a sign that said “Terrible’s coming to town” and that stuck. He says his grandfather hated it and by the time he caught up with his co-workers to try and rectify the situation, it had become a popular recognizable name that became a standard. Terrible’s Lakeside Casino is now one of eight run by the Herbst company — including five in Nevada and two in Missouri.
