Circa Resort & Casino to Be First Vegas Resort to Launch Utility NFT Art Collection
Circa Resort & Casino – downtown Las Vegas’ first adults-only casino –will launch a utility NFT art collection of the famous kicking cowgirl neon sign, Vegas Vickie painted by prolific artist Jason “Borbay” Borbet. Circa will be the first Las Vegas casino to debut an NFT to the blockchain with an NFT collection. The details surrounding the NFT tiers, real-life utility functions and mint date will be announced in the coming weeks.
The NFT will pay homage to Vegas Vickie, a 20-ft. blonde cowgirl neon sign who made her mark on the world-famous Fremont Street Experience in 1980, smiling into the crowds while perched upon Bob Stupak’s Glitter Gulch Casino. Originally designed by Charles F. “Chuck” Barnard, the sign was acquired by Circa’s CEO Derek Stevens in 2016, where she was refurbished by Las Vegas-based sign company YESCO and now lives as a signature art piece in Circa’s lobby.
Circa Las Vegas Partners with Artist Borbay on NFT of Iconic Kicking Cowgirl Neon Sign, Vegas Vickie
To kick off the project, Borbay created a painting of Vegas Vickie that will serve as the foundation for the NFT. The neon portrait – which was live painted at Circa throughout the month of February – now lives in the property’s rooftop lounge, Legacy Club and is placed next to a QR code that leads to the NFT landing page with additional details. The custom QR code landing page was created to give users easy access to view the page.
“At Circa, we strive to bring important elements from the past and merge them with what’s new, so to take one of Vegas’ most historic images and turn her into an NFT felt like a lightbulb moment,” said Stevens. “I’ve been passionate about supporting the cryptocurrency community from the beginning. My properties were the first casinos in Vegas to begin accepting Bitcoin eight years ago, and when Borbay approached us regarding the Vegas Vickie NFT, there was no question I wanted to create this very special collection for the NFT community.”
Idaho-based Borbay is a prominent artist, author and entrepreneur who has been painting legendary neon, places and portrait pieces since 2009. A longtime fan of downtown Las Vegas whose work has been featured at The Guggeheim and Universal Hip Hop Museum, Borbay knew he had to be a part of Vegas Vickie’s story the moment he saw her.
Borbay said, “It was love at first sight when I visited Vegas Vickie in Circa’s lobby. She is a timeless and striking work, and the amount of effort and detail the Circa team put into her refurbishment is astonishing. This collaboration is a community project through and through, and we are excited to educate and empower the NFT space in Las Vegas and beyond.”
How the Vegas Vickie NFT Collection Came to Life
When Borbay was seeking a partner for a Las Vegas NFT project, he knew Stevens had been bullish on two critical items that aligned with his vision: supporting the Bitcoin community and Las Vegas’ burgeoning art scene. Stevens’ other downtown ventures, the D Las Vegas and Golden Gate Hotel & Casino, were the first casinos in Las Vegas to house Bitcoin ATMs and accept it as currency for non-gaming spend. Additionally, Circa was built with art incorporated into its design when it opened in October 2020, as the property features an extensive collection primarily featuring works by local Las Vegas artists.
In March 2021, Borbay approached Circa’s Vice President of Operations Jeff Victor about turning Vegas Vickie into an NFT. Victor had a heavy hand in Vegas Vickie’s restoration, and even married her to fellow downtown Las Vegas neon sign Vegas Vic back in 1994 when he served as president of Fremont Street Experience. Victor loved Borbay’s vision and the road to creating the NFT was born.
Victor said, “When Borbay first approached us about this project, we knew he was onto something special. This is a new chapter in Vegas Vickie’s illustrious history that will honor Vegas’ past, present and future in a bold new way.”
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
