a circus circus." A circus-themed casino was a departure from Sarno's previous Las Vegas resort, the luxurious Caesars Palace. Sarno called Circus Circus "the most exciting project of my life". Planning for Circus Circus was underway at the end of 1967, and the opening was initially planned for August 1, 1968. The Nevada Gaming Control Board gave preliminary approval for Circus Circus, but this was overturned by the Nevada Gaming Commission, which noted that Sarno's group had only 70 percent of the necessary funds to finance the project. Approval was granted after a $1.1 million loan was provided by relatives of Kirk Kerkorian. Circus Circus was designed by the California firm of Rissman and Rissman Associates. The general contractor was R. C. Johnson and Associates, of Las Vegas. Circus Circus was built on the Las Vegas Strip, across from the Riviera resort, on property next to the Westward Ho motel. The opening was eventually delayed to October 1, 1968. The Circus Circus owners had $4.2 million to cover the construction costs, and R. C. Johnson estimated the project to cost $3.9 million. However, work was sped up during the final month to get the casino opened sooner, resulting in a higher construction cost. The casino included a circus tent structure, made of steel and concrete. The tent-shaped roof reached 90 feet in the air, and was made of a plexiglass material which was painted white and hot pink. Opening and financial problems The $15 million Circus Circus ultimately opened on the night of October 18, 1968. An invitational costume party preceded the public opening. The opening was attended by numerous government officials and film stars, as well as media from across the United States. Nevada governor Paul Laxalt declared a "Circus Circus Premiere Week" to mark the opening. Circus Circus had 1,000 employees. Sarno served as the casino's president, and held a 25-percent interest, while Jud McIntosh held 22 percent. The two-story building included an indoor balcony that overlooked the casino floor. Various high wire and trapeze acts took place over the casino, but Sarno said that such acts would not distract the gamblers below. The second floor included a midway with various carnival games for children. Circus Circus was the first family-oriented casino in Las Vegas. The casino featured pink elephants and costumed table dealers and cocktail waitresses. Monkeys were trained to pay out jackpot winnings, and an elephant