A.I. Was Broker Who Sold Land Beneath Las Vegas Casino

• Gambling News
• 25 June 2025

The property for the Eastside Cannery Hotel & Casino was purchased through a distinctive real-estate agent — one that never experienced life. 

Marcus is an artificial intelligence program that employs machine learning to respond to and predict the real estate market, directing capital providers towards those capital seekers who are most likely to gain from a transaction. Last year, it was launched by Agrippa, an agency in Las Vegas without brokers. 

“Marcus is designed to be an omniscient dealmaker,” said Blake J. Owens, Agrippa’s founder, in a statement. “Its mission is simple: decode the who, what, when, where, and why of every transaction by forecasting behavior, uncovering hidden leverage, and thinking several moves ahead, like a chess grandmaster.”

Cannery Opener

In April, Marcus assisted in finalizing the $45 million agreement in which Boyd Gaming acquired the 30 acres of land under its Eastside Cannery, the Las Vegas casino hotel that was shut down during the pandemic and remains closed. 

“We worked closely with the seller of the ground lease and saw firsthand how market dynamics, buyer intent, and long-term incentives intersect,” Owens said.

When potential buyers emerged via Agrippa, Marcus assessed numerous factors and finally recognized the current owner, Boyd, as the ideal buyer. 

The seller was Cannery Casino Resorts, the organization that established the Eastside Cannery. 

In December 2016, Boyd invested $230 million to acquire the operational rights to the Eastside Cannery and its Cannery Casino located in North Las Vegas. 

Nonetheless, Cannery Casino Resorts maintained ownership of the property, for which Boyd continued to pay millions in annual rent despite the Eastside Cannery being shut down.