The casino Nick's Place Santa Barbara

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It is in a totally unexpected place that Dylan Hartley has the idea, at the end of 1985, to build the first casino of Santa Barbara : a disused oil platform. When he learns with his friend Sam William that the platform which he spotted belongs to the Capwells, he suggests acquiring the place for a two years duration against 1 dollar, and offering to Capwell Enterprises 20 % of the receipts of the future casino. He also issues an appeal to investors, and received money from Lionel Lockridge. It is Kelly Capwell who draws the plans of the casino, before the works begin. Dylan decides to baptize the place Nick's Place, in homage to his brother. So, the casino opens its doors at the beginning of 1986.

Situated off coast, the casino is accessible only by the ocean, via a ferry which makes the shuttle between the platform and the port. The boat belongs to Pearl Bradford, before it explodes because of a bomb placed inside by Kirk Cranston.

We enter the casino by a small entrance, which already lets glimpse the style of the place. Before entering the gaming room, a guichet allows to exchange money for bet counters.

Richly decorated, in an oriental architectural style, the casino welcomes all the Santa Barbara jet-set. As wants the tradition, the place is dark, but livened up.

Roulette tables, card and dice games, are concentrated in only one room. The roulette will afterward turn out to be rigged by Dylan, who will so succeed in storing always more money from the players.

Away from the games, in a second room, a bar welcomes the visitors around a long counter and some tables.

Among the employees of the casino, we find Brick Wallace, as a financial manager, and Augusta Lockridge, who welcomes the players and participates in the games. As manager of the establishment, Dylan possesses his own study. From there, we can follow all the activity of the gaming tables through monitors recording the games.

It is on the occasion of the inauguration of the place, in this year of 1986, that Dylan admits to his brother that he slept with Kelly a while earlier in Santa Rosa. Further to these revelations, Kelly is close to drown during the crossing by boat and she is saved by Nick who will forgive her. It is the same evening that also takes place the famous poker game between C.C. and Lionel Lockridge, where the value of the wealth put on the table exceeds all the limits (Mason Capwell even suggests to add Sophia, the mistress of both men). However nobody will go out as a  winner of this game, because Gina will knock over the cards.

When Dylan and Sam will have chosen to resell their parts of the casino to C.C. Capwell, this latter will use the place to seize the Lockridge fortune. He will agree to erase Warren's gambling debts (become hooked on games) in exchange for the properties and for the title deed of his rivals' house. Previously, to soak up his debts, Warren will even try to steal the players' gains on the ferry returning to Santa Barbara, in the presence of Sophia, who will recognize him in spite of his mask.

It is under the action of Lily "Light" Blake and of her followers (and among them Mason Capwell) that the casino closes its doors before the end of year 1986. The tarnished image of the establishment because of Lily's many public recriminations, then the drama which follows this (Amy's death during a demonstration), will get the better of its survival.