The owner of the ‘Little’ Nugget casino says the business will shut down for good on Thursday, July 30. The Little Nugget has adapted and transformed several times since Rick Heaney purchased it in 1989, when it was part of the Reno, Sparks and Carson City Nugget trinity. because of the lack of business, cancellations of events, and closure of bars, the Little Nugget could not afford to continue.