Scott Garawitz thrived in an unusual manner. He was a vicarious visionary.

The New Jersey native and Atlantic City gaming veteran made a critical decision in the early 1990s. Garawitz looked into the eyes of an ambitious entrepreneur and changed his life.

“I met Frank Fertitta III in Las Vegas and he told me about all the properties and the big plan for Station Casinos,” says Garawitz, now the general manager of Thunder Valley casino outside Sacramento. “At the time, Palace Station was a stand-alone casino and here’s this guy telling me about his big plans. It’s one thing for somebody to lay all of that out and quite another to do it.

“I don’t know why, exactly, but there was something about his passion for doing this that made me go along. I was not married at the time; I was moving 2,500 miles from home and believing a guy my age telling me about his ideas. When you’re single, young and dumb, you do a lot of things, I guess,” he adds laughing.

Score one for that trifecta. The vision materialized perfectly. Fertitta helped guide Station into a gaming powerhouse as its chairman and CEO. Garawitz enjoyed the ride. He traversed between Palace Station, Boulder Station, the corporate office, Green Valley Ranch and Barley’s over a 10-year period. Station ultimately placed him in Thunder Valley, where it holds a management contract, but he works for the United Auburn Indian Community.

Garawitz embraced high stakes and deadlines. That fit the blueprint of an aggressive company.

“They really helped me develop my chops,” Garawitz says. “The opportunity for leadership and using management skills was always there. The company attitude was that we were faster, quicker and smarter than the competition. We never settled. It was high energy, keep pushing, and do better tomorrow than you did today. The feeling was that if you were looking for a ROAD (Retire On Active Duty) job, don’t apply at Station.

“We had that David versus Goliath attitude toward the bigger properties on the Strip. We believed we were as good as or better than anybody.”

Garawitz entered Palace Station as a food-and-beverage coordinator and grew into a general manager’s role at Green Valley Ranch. He helped launch several openings.

“I told them that wherever they wanted to stick me, I was good with that,” Garawitz recalls. “The bigger the challenge, the better. I love troubleshooting. I really liked openings. They are exciting. It’s about deadlines, it’s many things that are not organized, you are operating out of trailers and you work stupid hours. They are not for the faint of heart. But if you have a good group, it’s an absolute blast. Many people will look back on openings as a ‘never-again thing.’ I kept looking forward to the next one.”

He was in the right place. Station cornered the locals market and spread its gaming wings. Garawitz gleaned substantial knowledge and then general manager’s credentials by running Barley’s.

“Here was a brew pub with 199 slots, six tables, a sports book and a restaurant,” Garawitz recalls. “With a joint that size, you decide whether to take a bet. You decide if the restaurant is backed up to go bus tables. Is it glamorous? Heck, no. Do you learn about everything you need to get all the way rounded out? Absolutely.”

Garawitz was operating Green Valley when some personal factors emerged. From “single, young and dumb,” he was getting married to a woman based near Sacramento. Garawitz expressed interest in Thunder Valley and obtained the job with one provision—open in a few months. Out came the track shoes. Thunder Valley opened in June 2003 and offers Vegas-style panache.

“It was a wonderful challenge because the Tribal leadership put a lot of trust in me, which I don’t take lightly,” Garawitz says. “Over 95 percent of the people had never worked in a casino before. If you need 500 dealers in Las Vegas, you put an ad in the paper and 1,000 will show up. Here, we trained 350 of the 500 dealers. For most of the people here, it was massive culture shock.

“But we did it. Now here we are about to open more restaurants, add slot machines and 650 hotel rooms.”

For Garawitz, it’s the continuation of a dream. He has worked more than 20 years in the business, delivering high-energy commitment.

“The opportunity to move around and do new things has kept the business fresh for me,” Garawitz says. “Along the way you must take some chances. My father always told me about loving what you do and never working a day in your life. This is that example for me. Whether it’s an opening, or developing a property, I love it all.”

It shows.

By Dave Bontempo

Casino Connection Sports Editor Dave Bontempo is an award-winning sports writer and broadcaster who calls boxing matches all over the world. He has covered the Philadelphia Flyers in the playoffs, as well as numerous PGA, LPGA and Seniors Golf Tour events, and co-hosted the Casino Connection television program with Publisher Roger Gros.

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