Jim Rigot
General Manager
Trump Plaza, Atlantic City

Major executives often cite a key decision that dramatically affected their lives.

Jim Rigot also had one, but it affected the gaming industry more than his life.

“I almost re-upped in the Air Force,” said the former Vegas gaming executive, now the general manager of Trump Plaza in Atlantic City. “I was having such a great time stationed in the Philippines and being with peers who shared my interest, that after coming back to the States, it was a serious consideration. Some of my friends did and made a career out of it. I probably would have enjoyed it, too, but I had already discovered Las Vegas and just fallen in love with it, so I made a beeline for it in the mid-1970s.”

The Trenton, New Jersey native visited Las Vegas when he was stationed in Colorado. As he left the Air Force, Rigot took the heartbeat of pre-corporate Las Vegas, and his own pulse quickened. Here was a city on caffeine ready to embrace his effervescent nature. It wasn’t long before he broke into the industry as a dealer.

Rigot’s personality and his friendly, natural interest in customers was an intangible asset that didn’t show up on balance sheets. But his demeanor was a perfect fit at Bill Boyd’s Sam’s Town on Boulder Highway and California in Downtown Las Vegas. The ability to blend with people guided Rigot’s rise from dealer to floor person, box and pit boss during his Las Vegas tenure. Once Atlantic City came online, Rigot was one of many Las Vegas workers to take advantage.

“Vegas taught you enough that your skills were in demand,” Rigot said. “When we were in the monopoly situation in Vegas, growth was slow. You had to wait for somebody to retire and die before there would be any kind of promotion. With the explosion of gaming, those who had the knowledge were in demand. If you were willing to relocate, you could find the perfect opportunity.”

Rigot found many in and through his time in Atlantic City. He is now on a third tour of duty with the Trump organization. He joined Trump Plaza as an executive host in 1993, rejoined as an executive vice president of casino operations in 1994 and became the GM in 2005. In between, he enjoyed a stint at Foxwoods and a reunion with Bill Boyd, who flew in on a private jet to cajole Rigot into opening Borgata.

In addition to the pointers gleaned off Vegas mentors, Rigot expanded knowledge of the industry through an innate curiosity.

“Table games guys, hotel guys, food and beverage people, you go over all the data with them at the executive meetings,” he said. “I was a great listener, probing, asking questions. Can I go to the kitchen and cook? No. But I understand price points, checks, food costs and margins. At the end of the day, in any business, everybody is striving for professionalism.”

As Trump slugs through its bankruptcy process, the entire industry awaits its turnaround. Rigot sees enormous potential once the fear fades, especially for Las Vegas.

“With gaming spreading to so many states, Vegas can capitalize,” he said. “Only 50 million of the 300 million people in this country have been exposed to gaming. The more locations mean that once people experience it, the more they want to see the granddaddy of them all. For Vegas, the future is bright.”

Rigot extends similar optimism to all employees. And while it’s not news that patrons must be served better for places to simply survive, Rigot offers a fresh sense of what brings people to this business.

“Yes, there is a lot of anxiety in the work force, but think about what we are doing,” he said. “You are in an industry in which you can watch people enjoying themselves, laughing, hee-hawing, rooting each other on to victory. It can be college guys having a reunion. It can be any type of a party. The adrenaline is something to watch.”

It’s something he watched from a distance 30-some years ago. And it’s something he could not pass up.

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.