I also know the horse is already out of the barn. You are one of the few gaming executives who is publicly opposed to online poker legalization. In the end, we’ve turned it into a positive experience. I never gave up until it was over, even though I probably realized I wasn’t going to win. That experience helped me in dealing with the banks. As a catcher, you’re in charge of what’s going on, so you can’t quit. You have to learn to deal with that adversity. In baseball, with every single pitch, someone fails. Marnell struck a deal with Penn to remain in charge of the property as president.īaseball, he said, helped him weather the challenging negotiations with the banks.ĭid your athletic endeavors help you in business?īaseball is a game of failure. The economic downturn and bank-directed reorganization, however, led to regional casino giant Penn National Gaming taking control of M Resort in October 2011. In 2009, he opened M Resort, a nearly $1 billion hotel-casino development he helped design. Marnell was involved in technology companies before returning to gaming.

He helped open the Rio, which was built by his father, before the casino was acquired by Harrah’s Entertainment. The son of casino building pioneer Tony Marnell II, the younger Marnell found success off the baseball diamond in business. He was drafted by the San Diego Padres in 1995 and played three years of minor league baseball before injuries ended his brief career. M Resort President Anthony Marnell III understands the concept.Ī standout high school catcher at Bishop Gorman, Marnell went on to play collegiate baseball at the University of Arizona. In baseball, it’s often said that catchers make the best managers.Ĭatchers control the game on the field and are involved in many key decisions.

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