IBJNews

'Survivor' star looking for investors for casino game

Back to TopCommentsE-mailPrint

Reality-TV star Rupert Boneham is putting out a call to investors who might want to try their luck at owning a portion of a casino table game he has created.

The Indianapolis resident of “Survivor” fame is holding an informational meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the office of his not-for-profit, Rupert’s Kids Inc., at 757 E. 86th St.

Boneham launched his charity in 2004, about the same time he captured the $1 million prize as winner of “Survivor: Pearl Island.”

Plans to expand his mentoring program for troubled teenagers and young adults to other cities in Indiana needs financial backing. Boneham thinks his Rupert’s Island Draw casino game could provide the answer.

He is seeking 10 investors to pay $10,000 each for a 1-percent stake in the game. Boneham plans to use the $100,000 to market the game and to get it into as many casinos across the country as possible.

Investors would earn 1 percent of monthly revenue from rental fees that the casinos would pay for the game. The more casinos that want the game, the larger the return for investors.

Rupert’s Kids would benefit from the 20 percent of revenue Boneham has pledged to the charity.

“I am looking for investors at a time when money is so tight,” Boneham said. “But I don’t want to give a lot of the company away. I want to make sure I know who is getting involved.”

Rupert’s Kids is funded completely by private donations, which began to dwindle in 2008, Boneham said. His charity ran a $35,291 deficit in 2009, according to its most recent Internal Revenue Service Form 990. Expenses totaled $210,069 on a budget of $174,778.

Boneham is seeking investors as his casino game gets closer to winning licensing approval. A test run at the Golden Nugget casino in Las Vegas is finished, and the Nevada State Gaming Board is expected to give the game its blessing June 24.  

If all goes well in Nevada, Boneham plans to market his game to casinos across the country.

He plans to register the securities with the Indiana Secretary of State’s Office once the game is licensed.

“I am testing the waters to see if there is value in what we created,” he said.

Rupert’s Island Draw is a two-card game using the ace through six cards. The goal is to get a lower score than the dealer. A third card can come into play, and a hand over 12 is considered a bust.

“It’s a very non-threatening game,” Boneham said.
 

ADVERTISEMENT

Post a comment to this story

COMMENTS POLICY
We reserve the right to remove any post that we feel is obscene, profane, vulgar, racist, sexually explicit, abusive, or hateful.
 
You are legally responsible for what you post and your anonymity is not guaranteed.
 
Posts that insult, defame, threaten, harass or abuse other readers or people mentioned in IBJ editorial content are also subject to removal. Please respect the privacy of individuals and refrain from posting personal information.
 
No solicitations, spamming or advertisements are allowed. Readers may post links to other informational websites that are relevant to the topic at hand, but please do not link to objectionable material.
 
We may remove messages that are unrelated to the topic, encourage illegal activity, use all capital letters or are unreadable.
 

Messages that are flagged by readers as objectionable will be reviewed and may or may not be removed. Please do not flag a post simply because you disagree with it.

Sponsored by
ADVERTISEMENT

facebook - twitter on Facebook & Twitter

Follow on TwitterFollow IBJ on Facebook:
Follow on TwitterFollow IBJ's Tweets on these topics:
 
Subscribe to IBJ
  1. Many serial killer types and psychopaths work as lowly bureaucrats, just waiting to impose their wrath on a powerless person, child, or pet. Don't forget, the BTK killer was a dog catcher.

  2. If a television station wants to improve viewership, get rid of the local blackout. I was born by the brickyard, and have attended 15 or more races. I have children now, I won't attend unless circumstances are perfect. As those with growing families know, they never are. I'm always impressed that upwards of 250,000 people attend the 500. However, as a growing, or, more apt, sprawling city, Indianapolis and its immediate suburbs count almost 2.2 million. Show the race live, let the venue get a kick-back on revenues, and open-wheel racing might have a fighting chance to be relevant again. Just in time for those tax-payer lights to make sense.

  3. John Moore, I too have had the same issue recently. A property next to my house was on the Land Bank and I was interested in purchasing. When I tried to contact Reggie, I got back emails that had nothing to do with what I asked about. Actually my latest response from him was on this past Friday. I had asked about how to buy the property and if it was still available. His response to me was to contact the mayor's office to get the schedule of his appearances. (???) Hopefully the city is able to do something to fix what this guy has done, it would be nice if they would take the properties back and sell them properly so land owners like me and you mother would have a fair chance.

  4. I too work in the industry, with over 25 years of experience and your political spin has probably nothing to do with any rebranding. "Let's dress it up" would have nothing to do with the government "telling us how and what to eat." Give it a political rest. And being a producer for a radio show doesn't mean you've been involved in advertising and branding for 30 years.

  5. Ms. Morris did not understand the ways of the business world, otherwise, like the IMS, she could have petitioned the State Legislature for a handout of State Funds for her charity work. Ms. Morris should consider becoming a state lobbyist for Lemonade Stand Operators.

ADVERTISEMENT