The sleepy border town of McDermitt, Nevada is about to wake up in a big way. Situated on the edge of what experts call “white gold,” this unassuming community sits beside what could become America’s most valuable real estate over the next decade. Recognizing this golden opportunity, musician-turned-entrepreneur Gary Green has made a strategic move by purchasing the historic Say When casino, betting on a coming boom that could transform this dusty outpost into a thriving hub of America’s energy revolution.
The Billion-Dollar Bet on Nevada’s Lithium Future
Gary Green Gaming has acquired the Say When casino in McDermitt, Nevada, a small establishment that’s about to find itself at the epicenter of America’s clean energy transformation. What makes this seemingly ordinary casino purchase extraordinary is its location – positioned right next to Thacker Pass, the largest known lithium deposit in the United States.
Green isn’t just buying a casino; he’s staking a claim in what many industry insiders predict will be America’s next great boomtown. The businessman’s vision extends far beyond gaming tables and slot machines – he sees a future where this remote corner of Humboldt County becomes a bustling center for workers, engineers, and businesses all connected to the lithium industry.
Green explained that this acquisition has a much greater vision:
This isn’t just another casino acquisition. We’re creating the infrastructure for the human side of the energy revolution-the new Wild West, electrified.
What makes Green particularly confident in this investment is the unique convergence of factors: perfect market timing as electric vehicle production ramps up globally, exclusive location rights in a region poised for massive growth, and steadily increasing demand for lithium that shows no signs of slowing down.
The Treasure Beneath: Inside America’s Lithium Motherlode
The Thacker Pass lithium deposit isn’t just another mining operation – it represents one of America’s most strategic natural resources in the 21st century. Located within the McDermit Caldera, an ancient supervolcano stretching approximately 28 miles long by 22 miles wide across Northern Nevada and parts of Southern Oregon, this deposit contains lithium-rich claystone that mining companies have been eyeing for years.
According to technical reports, the Thacker Pass project contains proven mineral reserves that make it a trillion-dollar natural resource. The deposit contains high-grade lithium claystone that will be extracted through conventional mining methods before processing to extract the valuable lithium. The mineral reserves have been extensively tested with drilling programs confirming substantial lithium concentrations throughout the deposit.
What makes this particular deposit unique is its scale and composition. While many lithium operations worldwide extract the element from brine pools, Thacker Pass contains lithium in claystone form, which presents both challenges and opportunities for extraction. The technical processing will involve leaching and neutralization processes to separate the lithium from other elements before producing battery-grade lithium carbonate.
The processing facility planned for the site represents cutting-edge mineral processing technology, with systems for beneficiation, leaching, filtration, and ultimately lithium carbonate production. The complete mining operation will include an open pit that will be continually backfilled and reclaimed during operations, processing facilities, and supporting infrastructure including power generation capabilities.
From Roadhouse to Entertainment Epicenter: Gary Green’s Vision
The current Say When casino bears little resemblance to what Green envisions for the future. Built in 1973 as a modest roadhouse-style establishment, the casino has served local customers for decades without major renovations. All that is about to change dramatically.
Green’s ambitious plans would transform the modest building into a comprehensive entertainment complex featuring a massive 60,000-square-foot gaming floor – roughly the size of a football field filled with slots, table games, and sports betting options. The three-story hotel tower will provide much-needed accommodations in a region where housing options are extremely limited.
Beyond just gambling, Green’s vision includes a 24-hour restaurant serving everything from quick bites to upscale dining, a media broadcast center that could serve as a hub for news about the developing lithium industry, multiple live concert venues to capitalize on Green’s extensive music industry connections, and a complete shopping district.
Importantly, the Say When will remain open during the extensive renovation and expansion process, serving both current customers and the growing influx of workers and visitors to the region. Once completed, the Say When will stand as the only full-service casino and hotel in the entire region, giving it a monopoly position for entertainment and hospitality.
The Chemistry Powering Our Future: Why Lithium Matters
Understanding Green’s investment requires appreciating why lithium has become so crucial to the global economy. This remarkable metal possesses unique properties that make it irreplaceable in modern technology. For starters, it’s extraordinarily lightweight – if you placed a chunk of lithium on one side of a scale and an apple of equal volume on the other, the scale would tip toward the apple. Lithium has a density of just 0.3 ounces per cubic inch, making it the lightest solid element at room temperature.
This lightness, combined with lithium’s high reactivity (it can easily catch fire when exposed to air or water), creates the perfect properties for energy storage. When incorporated into batteries, lithium ions move easily between electrodes, storing and releasing energy efficiently while keeping weight minimal – crucial for everything from smartphones to electric vehicles.
The applications for lithium batteries continue expanding beyond consumer electronics and EVs. Thermal batteries utilizing lithium are increasingly being used to heat and cool large buildings, with projects underway to bring this technology into residential homes and apartments. Experts predict these thermal applications could soon become as common as traditional electric batteries.
As governments worldwide push for decarbonization, the demand for electric vehicles and renewable energy storage systems – both heavily dependent on lithium batteries – continues accelerating. This puts Thacker Pass and, by extension, McDermitt, Nevada at the center of a global technological revolution.
The Renaissance Man: Gary Green’s Remarkable Journey
The man behind this ambitious venture has lived several lifetimes’ worth of experiences. Born in rural North Carolina, Gary Green’s career began in music with a strong focus on activism and social justice. During the civil rights era, he participated in marches and demonstrations, advocated for Native American sovereignty, and eventually found himself under government surveillance for his political activities.
His music career included recording anti-establishment songs for Folkways Records, with his musical contributions now preserved in both the Smithsonian and the California Music Hall of Fame. However, Green’s talents and interests extended far beyond music.
His business career has been remarkably diverse. He served as a vice president in the Trump Organization, launched technology ventures during the early internet boom, developed multiple casino properties, and at one point even owned a circus. Throughout his career, Green has consulted on more than 30 tribal casino projects across the United States, creating hospitality brands from scratch while continuing to mentor younger artists and activists.
This combination of artistic sensibility, business acumen, and social consciousness gives Green a unique perspective on development projects. The Say When represents a commercial opportunity, certainly, but Green also speaks passionately about creating infrastructure that serves the broader community while respecting the region’s environment and cultural heritage.
Entrepreneurs like Gary Green recognized lithium as one of the assets that is driving the transformation of our modern economy, right alongside other powerful technologies such as cryptocurrency, also set to transform in different ways the online world of gaming.
Boom and Sustainability: Balancing Progress and Protection
The Thacker Pass project hasn’t been without controversy. Environmental impact studies have been conducted to address concerns about land disturbance, water usage, air quality, and wildlife protection. The project developers have committed to concurrent reclamation efforts, meaning that areas where mining has been completed will be restored during the life of the mine rather than waiting until operations cease.
The mine’s operation will include complete backfilling of the open pit during the life of the mine, with full reclamation planned for the end of mining activities. Water management represents another critical aspect of the project, with careful monitoring of groundwater impacts and water usage efficiency measures incorporated into the design.
From an economic perspective, the development promises substantial benefits for Humboldt County and Nevada more broadly. The construction and operation phases will create hundreds of jobs directly at the mine and processing facilities, with additional employment generated through supporting businesses like Green’s expanded casino.
The project is expected to contribute significantly to local tax revenues, potentially funding improvements to schools, infrastructure, and public services in communities throughout the region. For a rural county with limited industrial development, the economic multiplier effect could be transformative.
The Human Element: Building Community Around Resources
What makes Green’s vision particularly interesting is his focus on the human infrastructure needed to support major industrial development. While mining companies concentrate on extraction and processing, Green recognizes that workers need places to eat, sleep, socialize, and find entertainment.
The expansion of Say When represents a bet not just on increased customer traffic but on the fundamental need for community gathering spaces in boomtowns. Throughout American history, from gold rush settlements to oil boom cities, the development of entertainment venues, hotels, and retail has followed resource extraction.
Green’s approach acknowledges this historical pattern while bringing modern amenities and scale to the concept. Rather than letting development happen haphazardly, his master-planned entertainment complex aims to create a focal point for community life as the region grows.
For residents of McDermitt and surrounding areas, the next decade promises dramatic change. The quiet rural lifestyle that has characterized the region for generations will evolve as new residents arrive, infrastructure expands, and economic activity increases. Green’s development represents just one piece of a complex transformation that will reshape this corner of Nevada into a critical hub for America’s energy future.
