Tilman Fertitta

Tilman Fertitta owns the Golden Nugget casino and hotel chain, Houston Rockets, and the Landry’s restaurant chain. He is set to expand his stake in the gambling industry, as Fertitta Entertainment reached a $17.6 billion deal in May 2028 to purchase Caesars Entertainment.

In 2025, Fertitta was appointed as the United States Ambassador to Italy and San Marino.

Major Achievements

Tilman Fertitta is one of the most successful and recognizable names in the gaming industry. He became Chairman, President, and CEO of the restaurant and hospitality company Landry’s in 1980. Under his leadership, the company experienced significant growth and now has a presence in 35 states. 

Tilman Fertitta’s Landry’s Inc. leadership resulted in the creation of more than 600 properties across 15 countries. These include Mastro’s Steakhouse and Ocean Club, as well as Bubba Gump’s Shrimp Co. Landry’s has since grown into a company with over 58,000 employees and is one of the most recognizable hospitality brands in the United States:

• Chairman, CEO, and President of Landry’s Inc. from May 1980 until June 2025.
• Acquired the Golden Nugget Casino and Hotel brand in 2005.
• Appointed as the United States Ambassador to Italy and San Marino in 2025.
• Reached definitive agreement to acquire Caesars Entertainment

Career Highlights

In 2026, Fertitta Entertainment agreed to pay Caesars shareholders $31 per share in cash to acquire the company. The deal would take Caesars private and wrap the casino holdings into Fertitta’s restaurant, hospitality, and entertainment portfolio.

Feritta reportedly outbid Carl Icahn and other offers for the Caesars acquisition.

In 2005, Tilman acquired the Golden Nugget Casino and Hotel brand and expanded it to five locations across the U.S., including Atlantic City. There are also Golden Nuggets properties in Las Vegas and (Nev.), Lake Charles (La.) and Biloxi (Miss.)

Fertitta’s Golden Nugget Casino expansion continued with the launch of an online gaming platform, GoldenNuggetCasino.com, which won four consecutive EGR North America Operator of the Year awards.

Plans to build a 43-story hotel and casino on a 6.2-acre parcel in Las Vegas he bought for about $270 million are on hold.

In October 2021, Tilman acquired a 6.1% stake in Wynn Resorts Ltd., which led to an 11% increase in the company’s share price. The same year, Tilman sold Golden Nugget Online Gaming to DraftKings for a staggering $1.56 billion.

Tilman remains a staunch supporter of pro-gambling legislation in America.

Taking a leaf out of Donald Trump’s playbook, Tilman became a reality TV star, hosting the CNBC reality show “Billion Dollar Buyer”. The show ran from 2016 to 2018, during which time Tilman Fertitta’s ownership of the Houston Rockets was confirmed. The 2017 acquisition was at the time the largest franchise sale in NBA history, valued at over $2 billion. 

President-elect Donald Trump announced Fertitta’s nomination as U.S. ambassador to Italy and San Marino on Dec. 21, 2024, and Fertitta was confirmed by the US Senate on April 29, 2025.

In Their Own Words

Backing a 2023 bill to legalize sports betting in Texas, which ultimately died in the state senate, Fertitta said:

Sports betting is a very popular form of entertainment. Sports fans enjoy placing bets on their favorite sports because it brings them closer to the team and puts them in the game.”

Tilman Fertitta

Future Aspirations

With his pending purchase of Caesars Entertainment, Fertitta’s influence in the gambling industry grows. He’s also the largest shareholder in Wynn Resorts, and cross-ownership of competing gambling companies could represent a regulatory hurdle to completing the acquisition.

As the majority shareholder of Wynn Resorts, Tilman Fertitta sits on the DraftKings board and continues to exert a significant influence on the company’s future.

Tilman’s plans for a new resort on the Las Vegas strip have been put on hold, but not canceled. Tilman resigned as CEO of Landry’s to assume the role of Ambassador, thereby avoiding a conflict of interest; however, future possibilities remain. Although there’s no indication of when or even if plans for a new Vegas resort might resume. 

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