Derek Stevens has accomplished a great deal in his life so far. He owns Las Vegas hotels and casinos worth more than $1 billion. Forbes called him “The Last Casino Mogul.” He can now add his first academic award to that impressive resume, as the 2026 winner of the University of South Carolina College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management’s Visionary Innovation & Leadership Award.

College of HRSM Dean Michael Sagas presented the award, HRSM’s highest honor, to Stevens at a recent gathering at Circa Resort & Casino (one of Stevens’ casinos), attended by faculty, staff and alumni including several currently employed by Stevens in management roles.

“This annual award recognizes a leader whose work spans hospitality, retail, entertainment, and sport, and whose influence shapes both our industries and the next generation, a leader whose impact reflects transformation, vision, integrity and meaningful industry influence. Derek Stevens reflects in both action and impact the very spirit this award was established on. As owner and CEO of Circa Resort & Casino, the D Las Vegas and Golden Gate Hotel & Casino, he has led the creation of Las Vegas's most distinctive hotels, blending hospitality, sports, entertainment and guest experience into the next generation resort,” Sagas said.

Stevens, a graduate of University of Michigan and Wayne State University, visited Las Vegas for the first time while still a college student and fell in love with the city’s legendary atmosphere. He visited often after that. In 2008, along with his brother Greg, he purchased a stake in the Golden Gate Hotel and Casino in 2008. They went on to purchase what is now known as the D, and in 2019 began building Circa.

Circa Resort & Casino opened in 2020 as the first newly built casino in Downtown Las Vegas since 1980, and one unlike any of its predecessors. It is the first Las Vegas resort to require all guests to be 21 years old or older. It covers a full city block and rises 35 stories, with 618 guest rooms, the spectacular Stadium Swim pool, a two-story casino, three-story sportsbook, five restaurants and much more.

It was an enormous gamble, and Stevens credits his father, a retired architect, for advising him to hold nothing back when planning it: to go all in, as they say in Vegas. 

Stevens has hired eight HRSM alumni and brought on others as interns. He and his team also welcomed participants in an HRSM Innovation Tour in 2025, with the alumni leading a behind the scenes tour of Circa. Stevens singled out the first of those hires for praise at the award ceremony.

“If not for him, we wouldn’t be here. Stephen Kelley is the first South Carolina alumni that came to work for us. He was part of our class of 2022 and he did pretty well. He came to work on time or early. He hung around late and he impressed a lot of people. He came in as one of the management trainees, but he definitely stood out. He was not someone that we recruited. He cold called to get an interview and got the job. He had such an impact that we decided to go back to South Carolina. So it happened and now these Gamecocks are multiplying,” Stevens said.

Piper Carter, a 2024 graduate of HRSM’s David and Nicole Tepper Department of Sport and Entertainment Management, is now regulatory compliance and licensing manager for Circa Hospitality Group (Circa Resort & Casino, the D Las Vegas, and the Golden Gate Hotel & Casino) and Circa Sports (Circa Sports Colorado, Circa Sports Illinois, Circa Sports Kentucky, and Circa Sports Iowa). Inspired by her experience with Circa, she is now pursuing her J.D. at UNLV. She credits Stevens for creating an atmosphere that opens the doors for young employees to succeed.

“One of the things that makes working for Mr. Stevens so special is the company's willingness to believe in people before they have a ton of experience. Just two months after graduating, I was given the opportunity to take on major responsibilities that accelerated my growth both personally and professionally. I always felt trusted and supported, and it was clear that the company genuinely values the perspectives and energy that young professionals bring. Rather than focusing on mistakes, Mr. Stevens and the leadership team see every challenge as a learning opportunity. That culture of trust, growth, and continuous improvement is what makes this company a rewarding place to work,” she said.

Carter has also had the chance to see firsthand how the lessons she learned at HRSM are put into practice at Circa, and how Stevens’ innovations have taken longstanding wisdom to new, innovative levels.

“Circa is a master class in casino design and truly stands out from every other property in the city. The partnership between Derek and Greg Stevens is a major reason why the property is so unique. Their commitment to excellence shows in detail that many guests may not consciously notice but they certainly experience the air quality on the casino floor, the exceptionally clean pool water, or the incredible clarity of the screen at Stadium Swim. Every aspect of the property reflects a hands-on, personal approach. Guests are treated like family, and every decision is made with their comfort, enjoyment, and overall experience in mind,” she explained.

Hospitality. Tourism. Sport. Entertainment. Retail. Derek Stevens is a leader in every field for which HRSM is training the next generation of leaders, and an incredibly deserving recipient of the Visionary Innovation & Leadership Award.

The award is small compared to some of his accomplishments, but he accepted with genuine gratitude, and shared the credit with his team, as the best of leaders do, while also sharing some of the philosophy that led to his success.

“I think in particular after COVID, it's more important than ever in hospitality to be able to look someone in the eye, shake their hand, hang out with them, make them feel special. And I think maybe that's kind of where we kind of hit and maybe got lucky in many ways where we're not really a big corporation. We like to hang out and I think when you treat a customer special, whatever that may be, that's really the critical thing,” he said before concluding with thanks.

“I really appreciate this leadership award. We want to continue to grow our business. We want to do it with extraordinary hospitality. I'd like to thank our alumni. I'd like to thank our management team, our marketing team who's really brought a lot of direction to our alumni here. Thanks for being out here in Las Vegas. I look forward to seeing all of you here again.”