Cactus Pete’s began in 1954, when Peter “Cactus Pete” Piersanti moved his slot machine business from Idaho to the Nevada desert after Idaho outlawed casino gambling. He set up a small gaming stop near the Idaho border along U.S. Route 93, in an area that would soon become the town of Jackpot. At first, the operation was little more than a gas station and slot machine parlor, catering largely to Idaho residents willing to cross the state line for a chance to gamble. Alongside the nearby Horseshu Club, Cactus Pete’s helped establish a new Nevada gaming town almost entirely around the business of gambling.
As Jackpot grew, so did Cactus Pete’s. The property added motel rooms to accommodate visitors, eventually expanding beyond its roadside beginnings into a full hotel and casino. Piersanti’s business took over management of the neighboring Horseshu Club in 1964, laying the groundwork for a larger gaming operation. Under later owner Craig H. Neilsen, Cactus Pete’s underwent major expansions, including a multimillion-dollar renovation completed in 1991 that added a ten-story hotel tower, restaurants, and other resort amenities. The expansion transformed the small border casino into one of the region’s major destinations for gaming and entertainment.
Today, Cactus Pete’s Resort Casino remains one of Jackpot’s defining landmarks, drawing visitors from Idaho and beyond. Its history reflects a distinctive chapter in Nevada gaming, when state-line casinos attracted customers from neighboring states and helped entire communities grow around them. What began as a modest slot machine stop in the desert became a full-scale resort, helping turn Jackpot into one of the few towns in Nevada whose identity and economy grew directly out of legalized gambling.
Cactus Pete’s began in 1954, when Peter “Cactus Pete” Piersanti moved his slot machine business from Idaho to the Nevada desert after Idaho outlawed casino gambling. He set up a small gaming stop near the Idaho border along U.S. Route 93, in an area that would soon become the town of Jackpot. At first, the operation was little more than a gas station and slot machine parlor, catering largely to Idaho residents willing to cross the state line for a chance to gamble. Alongside the nearby Horseshu Club, Cactus Pete’s helped establish a new Nevada gaming town almost entirely around the business of gambling.
As Jackpot grew, so did Cactus Pete’s. The property added motel rooms to accommodate visitors, eventually expanding beyond its roadside beginnings into a full hotel and casino. Piersanti’s business took over management of the neighboring Horseshu Club in 1964, laying the groundwork for a larger gaming operation. Under later owner Craig H. Neilsen, Cactus Pete’s underwent major expansions, including a multimillion-dollar renovation completed in 1991 that added a ten-story hotel tower, restaurants, and other resort amenities. The expansion transformed the small border casino into one of the region’s major destinations for gaming and entertainment.
Today, Cactus Pete’s Resort Casino remains one of Jackpot’s defining landmarks, drawing visitors from Idaho and beyond. Its history reflects a distinctive chapter in Nevada gaming, when state-line casinos attracted customers from neighboring states and helped entire communities grow around them. What began as a modest slot machine stop in the desert became a full-scale resort, helping turn Jackpot into one of the few towns in Nevada whose identity and economy grew directly out of legalized gambling.
