Richard 'Pick' Hobson was born in Illinois on May 15, 1911. He headed west in 1929, eventually landing in Reno where he worked as a dealer at the Palace Club. After gaining some experience, and several friends, Pick invested his profit a gaming operation in the Colombo Club at 244 Lake Street, inside the Colombo Hotel. The Toscano Hotel, just across town, housed advertising for Pick's clubs for many years, reminding those driving by, to go to his other casinos.
Joe Hobson, Pick's brother, joined him in a casino located in the tiny city of Hawthorne, Nevada through the Second World War, once the munitions facility what food was in full swing. Also under way were the constantly fighting service men in town, working at the munitions facility. The Pick returned to Reno in 1943 and opened 'Pick's Club,' which reopened in 1946 because the Frontier Club when Joe purchased the casino at 220 North Virginia Street.
The casino featured a bar, craps, 21, and roulette, and also a race-horse book. A bingo hall was added in 1948, and 30 slot machine games were brought-in by Virgil Smith. Later a Keno game was added as well as the table games expanded. By 1956 once the club was sold to Bill Harrah, there have been 172 slot machine games.
Harrah paid nearly $1 million for the casino, and a part of his cost was a stipulation that Hobson wouldn't normally operate another casino for three years. In 1960, Pick purchased the Overland Hotel, just around the corner on Commercial and Center Street. The club backed-up to his old Lake Street casino.
In 1970, Pick purchased the Cosmo Club, that they operated for four years until it was closed so he could expand the Overland. At the same time, Pick was operating the Gold Club in Sparks, as well as the Topaz Lodge at the California State Line.
Once again, Bill Harrah came knocking, offering to lease the Overland, nevertheless the hotel and casino immediately closed and also the property was demolished in June 1977. The Cosmo Club has also been demolished, and Harrah purchased the Riverside hotel casino from Jessie here Beck and traded it to Hobson in exchange for that Overland and Cosmo Club land.
Pick Hobson was the very last owner of the Riverside casino, which closed in December 1986. An auction of slots and memorabilia in the Riverside as well as the Overland was held, as well as the hotel closed in November 1987. Pick moved to Portola, California soon afterwards. He passed on August 19, 1996, always remembered as being a very congenial boss who did his better to take care of his employees.