Richards, most recently Senior Vice President of Casino Operations at New York New York in Las Vegas, will take over at the property immediately.  Prior to that, he was the Vice President of Gaming Operations at the Hard Rock Hotel for one year.  He will oversee all the day-to-day operations of the company, and will work closely with Morton.

�I am looking forward to once again working with Rick and am thrilled to have him back on our team,� said Morton.  �The combination of his operational strengths, along with his understanding of the Hard Rock concept will allow us to continue to provide the unique experience which both our customers and employees have become accustomed to.�

�To be the General Manager of the Hard Rock Hotel and again be working with Peter Morton is an opportunity of a lifetime for me,� explained Richards.  �After being part of the opening staff, I feel I know the culture of the employees and the customers.�