Ralph Engelstad

Ralph Engelstad (January 28, 1930 Thief River Falls, Minnesota – November 26, 2002 Las Vegas, Nevada) was the multi-millionaire owner of the Imperial Palace casino-hotels in Las Vegas and in Biloxi, Mississippi and the Klondike Hotel & Casino. He was also the donor for the construction of the $300 million Ralph Engelstad Arena for his alma mater, the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and another arena bearing his name in Thief River Falls, Minnesota. A self-made man, Engelstad was one of the very few independent casino-hotel owners in Las Vegas.