Lee, Gregory T. H., 1964-

As Chairman and CEO of the Eureka Casino Resort, Gregory Lee’s involvement and impact on the Mesquite community will reverberate for generations. Although he was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, his ambitions starting from an early age led him to live with his business-oriented father in San Francisco, California. His journey eventually led him to attend Saint Paul’s School and Harvard College.

His first stint in Las Vegas happened in the late 1980’s, where he lived in the Jockey Club, took classes at UNLV, did an internship at the Imperial Palace, and even met Steve Wynn. Afterwards, he returned to USC law school and proceeded to practice law in New York City. However, when his father called with one last business project in mind, Lee returned to help him out unaware of how important this project would become to him. Nowadays, it is known as the Eureka Casino Resort and is a vital component of the Mesquite community, hosting various events such as Chinese New Year or the Fourth of July, but also operating with an Employee Stock Ownership Plan.

In this interview, Lee talks a range of topics such as his ancestor’s migration journey, his early childhood, his Japanese-Chinese identity, and how his mentors helped shape his business attitude. He talks about both his father’s influence as well as their differences. He also discusses many relevant topics on race including his experience with racial stereotypes such as the model minority myth, discrimination, and how he approaches instances of racism today. As a whole, this interview presents Lee’s well-rounded perspective on the world, a willingness to adapt, and his desire to provide new opportunities from the ground up.