Donald J. "Don" Laughlin (born May 4, 1931) is an American gambling entrepreneur, hotelier and rancher for whom the town of Laughlin, Nevada, is named.A native of Owatonna, Minnesota, Laughlin worked winters during his youth as a fur trapper. He took the profits and used them to purchase slot machines for installation in hunting lodges. The young businessman was making $500 a week when his school principal gave him an ultimatum: get out of slots or get out of school.