{"id":229231,"date":"2024-06-07T00:46:33","date_gmt":"2024-06-07T00:46:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/2024\/06\/07\/general-manager-of-palms-to-step-down\/"},"modified":"2025-06-25T17:17:40","modified_gmt":"2025-06-25T17:17:40","slug":"general-manager-of-palms-to-step-down","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/2024\/06\/07\/general-manager-of-palms-to-step-down\/","title":{"rendered":"General Manager of Palms to Step Down"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\n By Scott Roeben<\/a>, on June 06 2024 <\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

A longtime casino industry veteran, Cynthia Kiser Murphey (known to her colleagues as \u201cCKM\u201d), has resigned as General Manager of Palms Casino Resort.<\/p>\n

Staff was informed of the resignation on June 6, 2024, via an internal communication from Latisha Prieto, Chairperson of the San Manuel Gaming & Hospitality Authority Board (SMGHA). The San Manuel tribe owns Palms.<\/p>\n

Kiser Murphey\u2019s last day is June 30, 2024.<\/p>\n

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In the casino industry, one must always be on the lookout for sharks.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The whole SMGHA is a story unto itself. Here\u2019s a quick overview. Basically, it was a way to avoid the San Manuel tribal council from facing scrutiny by gaming regulators.<\/p>\n

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Happy birthday to Palms. Fun fact: Palms is technically owned by The San Manuel Gaming and Hospitality Authority (SMGHA), \u201ca governmental instrumentality of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians.\u201d This was a clever maneuver\u2014if they hadn\u2019t set up this entity (presumably\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2014 Vital Vegas (@VitalVegas) November 15, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Anyway, we broke the Kiser Murphey resignation story, as is our way. We haven\u2019t seen an official announcement yet, but give it a minute for the local news to catch up.<\/p>\n

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Longtime industry veteran Cynthia Kiser Murphey has resigned as General Manager of Palms. Last day is June 30. Our sources are almost always right, eventually. pic.twitter.com\/LDzJF56bbS<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Vital Vegas (@VitalVegas) June 6, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Latisha Prieto wrote, \u201cOver the past three years, it has been a privilege to work with CMK on our remarkable journey. GHA Board and CKM made history together and accomplished remarkable \u2018firsts\u2019 for the Tribe. We share a common bond through our combined challenges and achievements.\u201d<\/p>\n

You know, like \u201cBand of Brothers,\u201d but without all the saluting and Hershey\u2019s bars.<\/p>\n

The Prieto missive also mentions, \u201cWe respect CKM\u2019s wishes to start a new chapter, traveling and spending quality time with her family.\u201d<\/p>\n

Translation: They\u2019re making it sound like a retirement, but she\u2019s not retiring. Which means she was pushed.<\/p>\n

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Cynthia Kiser Murphey has the distinction of having been GM at the first tribe-owned casino in Las Vegas. Mirage is owned by the Seminoles. Mohegan is on the way out at Virgin.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The genesis of the recent changes, including rumors the VP of Casino Operations Gerald Williams is also out (via our friend @LasVegasLocally<\/a>), can be traced back to last year.<\/p>\n

In May, 2023, an announcement was made that didn\u2019t make much of a splash in Las Vegas, but it should\u2019ve. San Manuel named Peter Arceo Chief Gaming Officer for the tribe. Arceo\u2019s reputation was one of hands-on involvement, a quality which doesn\u2019t always vibe with old-school executives like Kiser Murphey. He essentially came into the tribe as her boss.<\/p>\n

This news led us to poke around at Palms, and we heard leadership changes were in the works. You would\u2019ve seen this Tweet earlier if you weren\u2019t such a skimmer.<\/p>\n

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It\u2019s been quiet at Palms, but anticipate a change in top level leadership soon. The tribe set modest goals, but sounds like they aren\u2019t being met.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Vital Vegas (@VitalVegas) June 18, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Chatter is Cynthia Kiser Murphey met expectations for the most part. She\u2019s solid at many aspects of casino operations, and when we met her once, she was an absolute sweetheart.<\/p>\n

Would we refer to a male casino general manager as a \u201csweetheart.\u201d Absolutely, find another reason to cancel us.<\/p>\n

Anyway, Palms isn\u2019t like other casinos. The San Manuel tribe (possibly called the Yaamava tribe now) is like most tribes, there\u2019s lots of glorious drama and personalities and politics and copious WTF. At any moment in a tribal casino, one can be replaced by someone\u2019s uncle or cousin and you\u2019re SOL. It\u2019s amazing Kiser Murphey did the job for three years.<\/p>\n

The tribe basically wanted to dip its toes into the Las Vegas market, while providing a destination for its San Manuel Resort & Casino in California. Or possibly Yaamava Resort & Casino.<\/p>\n

Anyway, the revenue goals for Palms weren\u2019t pie in the sky. The place was making maybe $20 million EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) when it was owned by Station Casinos. Then Kaos happened<\/a>, Station bailed and the tribe had its opportunity.<\/p>\n

Kiser Murphey has kept Palms scandal-free, and the EBITDA is probably closer to $30 million now.<\/p>\n

There haven\u2019t been any big ideas out of Palms, but if there were, we wouldn\u2019t have heard about them because we blocked them on Twitter. Why? Because they insist upon not using title case like a professional business. In the words of Chandler Bing, \u201cCould we BE more annoyed?\u201d<\/p>\n

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Please unfollow and block Palms until it hires someone to do social marketing older than 12. https:\/\/t.co\/iIoo31jIQf<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/YZprSyhZTb<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Vital Vegas (@VitalVegas) August 19, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Kiser Murphey\u2019s tenure at Palms was never going to be long-term. The tribe needed an opener. She was on the cusp of retirement prior to taking the gig at Palms. Kiser Murphey previously spent two decades working for MGM Resorts.<\/p>\n

Her departure wouldn\u2019t signal anything in particular on its own, but the involvement of Peter Arceo is worth considering as this saga unfolds, especially if the VP of Casino Operations is out, too.<\/p>\n

All these factors make it appear like a bona fide \u201cshake-up,\u201d especially if others loyal to Kiser Murphey and Gerald Williams follow.<\/p>\n

Palms remains a great off-Strip casino. If it ain\u2019t broke, we aren\u2019t sure why the tribe is trying to break it. Unless Cynthia Kiser Murphey genuinely wants to spend more time with her family, but that would be very weird. Who even does that?<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n