Gaming board recommends casino license for Max Baer Jr.

Max Baer Jr. won a unanimous recommendation Wednesday to be granted a gaming license at a North Las Vegas club.

The Gaming Commission is expected to approve the Gaming Control Board recommendation at its meeting later this month.

But Baer made it clear his real reason for seeking the license is to grease the path toward opening his Beverly Hillbillies casino in Carson City.

He told the board he and his partner Roger Camras will own 10 percent of the North Las Vegas club.

John Karras, who has extensive experience in management with several Atlantic City casinos, is buying 90 percent and will actually operate the Beverly Hillbillies Gambler Casino.

Baer said he expects things to break loose on the Carson City project, which he wants to build in the old Wal-Mart building on South Carson Street, but has run into opposition from others in the mall.

"I have not been the impediment to putting things up," he told the board in response to questions about the Carson City project. "We have the financing. Glenbrook Realty and J.C. Penney have been the impediment."

Baer, who played Jethro Bodine in the 1960s television series "Beverly Hillbillies," said it makes no sense to him that anyone in the mall opposes the project. He said the project includes 240 hotel rooms and will draw more business to Carson City.

"It's my intention to put a shovel in the ground by June of next year," he said.

He said the first step in the process came eight months ago when he won initial licensing to participate in the North Las Vegas casino.

He said he needed to put the Beverly Hillbillies logo on some casino before his option with CBS to use the theme expired.

He said a gaming license is his goal now so that, when the Carson City project is ready, it will be much simpler and quicker to license him to run it.

n Contact reporter Geoff Dornan at gdornan@nevadaappeal.com or 687-8750