Richard 'Pick' Hobson was given birth to in Illinois on May 15, 1911. He headed west in 1929, eventually landing in Reno where he worked as being a dealer at the Palace Club. After gaining some experience, and several friends, Pick invested his money 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 many years, reminding those driving by, to see his other casinos.
Joe Hobson, Pick's brother, joined him in the casino located in the tiny city of Hawthorne, Nevada during the Second World War, if the munitions facility was at full swing. Also in full swing were the constantly fighting service men around, working with the munitions facility. The Pick returned to Reno in 1943 and opened 'Pick's Club,' which reopened in 1946 because 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 included 1948, and 30 slot machine games were brought-in by Virgil Smith. Later a Keno game was added and also the table games expanded. By 1956 once the club was sold to Bill Harrah, there were 172 video poker machines.
Harrah paid nearly $1 million to the casino, and a part of his final cost was a stipulation that Hobson wouldn't normally 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 more info Street casino.
In 1970, Pick purchased the Cosmo Club, which he 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, as well as the Topaz Lodge with the California State Line.
Once again, Bill Harrah came knocking, offering to lease the Overland, though the hotel and casino immediately closed along with the property was demolished in June 1977. The Cosmo Club was also demolished, and Harrah purchased the Riverside hotel casino from Jessie Beck and traded it to Hobson in exchange for the Overland and Cosmo Club land.
Pick Hobson was the last owner of the Riverside casino, which closed in December 1986. An auction of slots and memorabilia from the Riverside and the Overland happened, along with the hotel closed in November 1987. Pick gone after Portola, California soon afterwards. He perished August 19, 1996, always remembered being a very congenial boss who did his advisable to take care of his employees.