Richard 'Pick' Hobson came to be in Illinois on May 15, 1911. He headed west in 1929, eventually landing in Reno where he worked being a dealer on the Palace Club. After gaining some experience, plus some friends, Pick invested his cash in a gaming operation with the Colombo Club at 244 Lake Street, in the Colombo Hotel. The Toscano Hotel, just across the street, housed advertising for Pick's clubs for a long time, reminding those driving by, to visit his other casinos.
Joe Hobson, Pick's brother, joined him in the casino based in the tiny capital of scotland - Hawthorne, Nevada during the Second World War, in the event the munitions facility was at full swing. Also in full swing were the constantly fighting service men in the city, working in the munitions facility. The Pick returned to Reno in 1943 and opened 'Pick's Club,' which reopened in 1946 as the Frontier Club when Joe purchased the casino at 220 North Virginia Street.
The casino featured a bar, craps, 21, and roulette, along with a race-horse book. A bingo hall was added in 1948, and 30 video poker machines were brought-in by Virgil Smith. Later a Keno game was added and also the table games expanded. By 1956 in the event the club was sold to Bill Harrah, there have been 172 slot machines.
Harrah paid nearly $1 million for here your casino, and part of his price was a stipulation that Hobson wouldn't operate another casino for three years. In 1960, Pick purchased the Overland Hotel, just around the corner on Commercial and Center Street. The club backed-up to his old Lake Street casino.
In 1970, Pick purchased the Cosmo Club, that she operated for four years until it had been closed so he could expand the Overland. At the same time, Pick was operating the Gold Club in Sparks, along with the Topaz Lodge in the California State Line.
Once again, Bill Harrah came knocking, offering to lease the Overland, though the hotel and casino immediately closed and also the property was demolished in June 1977. The Cosmo Club have also been demolished, and Harrah purchased the Riverside hotel casino from Jessie Beck and traded it to Hobson in exchange for that Overland and Cosmo Club land.
Pick Hobson was the very last owner of the Riverside casino, which closed in December 1986. An auction of slots and memorabilia in the Riverside as well as the Overland was held, as well as the hotel closed in November 1987. Pick gone after Portola, California soon afterwards. He died August 19, 1996, always remembered being a very congenial boss who did his best to take care of his employees.