In 1975, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer began to scout out Reno locations for their proposed high rise hotel-casino, which they planned to model after its high-profile Las Vegas casino, the MGM Grand.

Three years later in November 1984 MGM revealed plans to expand the Reno hotel further: a $60 million 26 story wing with another 954 rooms, which never materialized.

In 1990 Wall-Street began to tout financial problems with Bally Manufacturing; but in July 1990, they refute the claim and announce they will continue to operate the hotel-casinos.

Free of financial problems and immediately after the sale, Hilton began investing $86 million worth of renovations in 1994/1995 to transform completely the interior and exterior of the hotel and direct the theme towards a more Western image.

After all problems were addressed with all parties involved, the Reno Hilton became the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino on June 24, 2006.

In October 2008, in the midst of the economic crises, GSR's ownership or group of investors failed to make payments on their loans with their financier, JPMorgan, essentially bankrupt, the bank foreclosed on the 2,001 room hotel/casino and assumed ownership, assigning it to their affiliate Credit Markets Real Estate Holdings to oversee operations.

That affiliate brought on Las Vegas-based management companies such as Catalyst, who flips struggling hotel/casinos and makes them attractive to a buyer.

Those companies, including the Navegante Group and Santo Gaming, both Las Vegas based, continued to make improvements to the resort such as adding or replacing restaurants.

In August 2011, the company announced a multi-phase $25 million improvement program that would renovate the casino, hotel lobby, rooms and restaurants.

Among the most notable features are a new 800-room hotel tower, 300 residential units intended for workforce housing, and a 10,000-seat arena that would become the new home of the University of Nevada men's basketball team.

[9] Grand Sierra has the largest casino floor in Reno and Northern Nevada with over 80,000 square feet of slots, video poker, table games and a race and sports book.

The outdoor range features eight island greens, each varying in distance and difficulty, dotted along a large body of water.

[12] After only two and a half years of operation, and despite efforts by MGM management to increase interest in the sport (even approaching television stations in the San Francisco Bay Area with a proposal for a weekly jai alai television program[13]) Jai alai matches were permanently ended on November 2, 1980.

For several months after the closure, the protective screen separating spectators from the playing area remained up while the venue was used for other purposes, such as Boxing and Gymnastics, giving hope to fans that the sport would return.

In July 1983, the project was announced to be delayed due to issues securing $5 million for renovation of the fronton into a performance venue.

[15] At the time, MGM Grand management claimed plans to convert the room to a theater had been "put on the backburner".

[17] The following year, the fronton was demolished, the seating removed, and the floor leveled to create the 48,000 square foot, 5,000-seat Goldwyn Ballroom (Today's Summit Pavilion.)

The Grand Sierra is home to the local furry convention, aptly named Biggest Little Fur Con, since its inception in 2013.