Pennsylvania
Part IISo much for slots·
In last month's issue, we reported that "the leadership of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives was able to ensure that riverboat casinos will be included in a broad-based statewide gambling referendum on May 18." At that time, the bill still had to go before the Senate, but it was believed the measure would in fact make it on the May ballot.
My how quickly things can change.
With hardly any debate, the Senate declared the bill unconstitutional, effectively killing the question of Keystone State gambling through the remainder of Gov. Tom Ridge's term, which runs until 2003.
In interviews with the Philadelphia Inquirer, several senators said the legality issue was the Senate's way to quickly dispose of a bill that did not have enough support to pass.
"If gambling isn't dead, it is in a pretty deep coma, and I don't see it coming out," said Senate President Pro Tem Robert Jubelirer.
The legality question was raised even before the bill went to the Senate, since the state constitution does not address the issue of non-binding referenda.
"There is no precedent for a non-binding referendum," said Republican Sen. Melissa Hart. "If we routinely do this, it sets a bad precedent. We were sent here to make decisions, not to take polls."
A statewide referendum was a condition of Gov. Ridge's support for any legislation to expand gaming in Pennsylvania. As approved by the House, the referendum sought voter approval for up to 17 riverboat casinos, with a 20 percent tax on gross riverboat revenues to be dedicated to education. Had it been approved, the Legislature would still have had to compose gambling legislation for the governor to sign.
In response to the Senate vote, Ridge said simply, "It's time to move on."
Bad Bets
Betting limits bust table players
in the Show Me State
After 18 months of research, the Kansas City Star has concluded that Missouri casinos are among the worst, on average, for table-game players.
Industry experts agree that Missouri's betting limits and other restrictive rules on gaming are the main culprit. Missouri casinos are also prohibited from extending credit to players and, with few exceptions, the state's casinos don't offer player-friendly rules, such as the surrender option in blackjack.
Kansas City's casinos rake in an average of 22 percent of the cash that passes across nearly 200 blackjack tables. Iowa casinos, with no betting limits, average about 19 percent. In Las Vegas, where blackjack players are most proficient, casinos typically retain about 15 percent of the pot.
Missouri's betting limits hold down the total number of dollars in play because the tables don't get the giant buy-ins from well-heeled high rollers, which depresses the size of the overall pot and tends to push up the house cut, the paper reported.
At the high end, Kansas City's four casinos keep 32 percent of the money played at roulette (compared to an average 25 percent in Nevada). In the last 18 months, craps tables in the Kansas City area resulted in a house cut of 23.4 percent. The Las Vegas house cut, according to the paper, is about 15 percent.
Mr. Las Vegas, Tunica,
Louisiana and Colorado
Wayne Newton teams up with
Isle of Capri Casinos
Isle of Capri Casinos is teaming up with veteran Las Vegas entertainer Wayne Newton to develop theaters at the company's "Isle Style" properties in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Colorado.
Isle is an equal partner in the joint venture with Erin Miel Inc., Newton's company, which will manage the theaters.
The first location to host a Wayne Newton Theater complex will be the new Isle of Capri Casino in Tunica, MS. The complex will include two theaters with combined seating for more than 2,000 people and a separate performers' residence. The theaters will bring a blend of headliner acts, longer running review shows and national touring productions.
Isle of Capri Casino recently completed the purchase of its Tunica casino from Harrah's. Isle of Capri Tunica will carry the Isle's Caribbean theme.
"Wayne Newton's name in the entertainment world says it all," said John Gallaway, Isle president and COO. "There isn't a bigger name in gaming entertainment. And with his help, we will define what ÎIsle Style' entertainment is to our customers."
Yo Canada!
Ontario's coming out
A centuries-old English law that forbade dice games has been wiped from the books in Canada. Wasting no time, craps tables are scheduled to be in place in Ontario's three casinos by the time you read this.
Legislation permitting the popular dice game was passed by the provincial Senate on March 12, and is headed for a special provincial cabinet committee chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Herb Gray.
Proponents of the game say Ontario's casinos need to offer craps to keep pace with U.S. casinos÷especially the Las Vegas-scale operations slated to open in Detroit. Craps, they argue, has been a fixture on American gaming floors for decades.
Casino Windsor executive Jim Mundy said the introduction of the game will mean at least 200 new jobs.
"We will evaluate staff needs as we go along, and customer demand will dictate how many people we eventually hire," he said.
Manitoba, meanwhile, has decided against the game.
"There's no competitive demand for craps here," said Susan Olynik, a spokeswoman for the Manitoba Lotteries Corp.;
The province's main competitor, the Indian-owned Shooting Star casino in Minnesota, does not offer craps.
Strength in Numbers
Gulf Coast casinos band together
Amid all the hoopla surrounding the new Mirage casino, Beau Rivage, three Gulf Coast casinos have joined together to form Casino Row and launch a cooperative marketing effort
The three neighbors on Biloxi's Point Cadet÷Isle of Capri, Casino Magic and Grand Casino÷ will market Casino Row as a resort destination that offers three unique world-class gaming, dining and entertainment venues. Their effort is similar to two cooperatives formed in Tunica. Casino Strip includes Harrah's, Hollywood, and Sam's Town Tunica, and Casino Center combines the Sheraton, the Horseshoe and the Gold Strike casinos.
The Biloxi properties will be connected by a new shuttle service.
"We recognize the excitement associated with the growth of this market, and are building on that energy by making our properties increasingly accessible and attractive," said Bill Kilduff, vice president and general manager of Isle of Capri Casino Crowne Plaza Resort-Biloxi. "Casino Row is the only location on the Coast where guests can enjoy three distinctive gaming venues within a short walking distance of one another. As more and more people visit our area, it makes sense to work together."
Each casino-hotel will maintain its own identity, while the cooperative will combine promotional strategies and cross-sell selected entertainment events and property locations.
"Casino Row properties·are committed to accommodating our guests, streamlining access to our properties and bringing added visibility to the gaming industry on Mississippi's Gulf Coast," said Jeff Dahl, Casino Magic-Biloxi GM.
The three casinos total 202,200 sq. ft. of gaming space, with 180 table games and 4,811 slots. Combined, they represent 1,748 rooms, 14 restaurants and 60,424 sq. ft. of meeting space.
The Casino Row partners say the cooperative may eventually result in a joint venture entertainment and retail project.
"We're giving tremendous attention to that," said Dahl. "It clearly is the next logical step."
AND WE QUOTE·
"I have not been on the Sky Screamer, I have not been on the Desperado, I have not been on the Coney Island roller coaster, and I intend to keep that record perfectly intact."
÷J. Terrence Lanni, chairman, MGM Grand Inc., telling a Business in Nevada public television interviewer about his experience on thrill rides operated by his company and its newly acquired Primadonna Resorts Inc.
"Disney, with its theme parks, might be the happiest places in America, but Las Vegas is the ÎCapital of Cool.'" ÷Glenn Shaeffer, Circus Circus Enterprises president, at a recent luncheon hosted by the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce.
"The only time it's ever come into play is when you're talking about dollars. If they'd put up a couple of hot dog stands, nobody would have ever said a damn word÷until that hot dog stand made $10 million a month." ÷Charlie Glover, Bossier City, LA, finance director, in comments about Caddo Parish's claim to gaming revenues from a Bossier City casino.
WHAT'S NEW
Hey Moe!
Slapstick slots are
on their way
Just when you thought you'd seen it all on the slot floor, two gaming developers have raised the bar in slot development by transforming the one-armed bandit to a slapstick comedy routine fueled by the antics of the Three Stooges.
That's right. Shufffle Master Gaming Inc. and Acres Gaming Inc. have teamed up in a joint venture to offer the industry the first slot product powered by phrases like "Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk" and "Oh, a wise guy."
The two companies are hoping that the industry will get its first glimpse of the new game next fall÷complete with a set of Stooge lookalikes÷at the World Gaming Congress in Las Vegas.
The game is scheduled to be loaded with interaction and entertainment characterized by the comedy stylings of the famous trio. For example, players will be greeted by a harmonized "Hello, hello, hello" when they deposit a $20 bill.
During some of the game's bonus features, players will even get a chance to poke the Stooges in their eyes. The games will also feature film clips and moving animations created from still photos.
"It brings familiarity to the game," says Brooke Dunn, vice president of marketing at Shuffle Master. "Ninety-nine percent of males 18 and over know the Three Stooges. I will guarantee that 99 percent of males don't know who the president is."
Treasure Hunting
Circus Circus Reno displays
a million-dollar bounty
Over $1 million dollars worth of treasures from the sunken ship Atocha are on display at Circus Circus Hotel and Casino-Reno. The spectacular bounty is the featured attraction during the Treasure Hunt Passport adventure package available from now through July 1, 1999.
The Treasures of the Atocha display can be seen in the Circus Treasures Gift Shop, located near the Sky Tower trams.
On September 4, 1662, the Spanish treasure ship, Nuestra Senora de Atocha, was driven by a severe hurricane onto the coral reefs near the Marquesas Cays, about 20 miles west of Key West, Florida. Part of Spain's heralded South Seas Fleet, the Atocha had left Havana, Cuba, just days earlier with 28 other galleons and escort vessels. With her hull ripped open, the Atocha quickly sank. Only three people survived. Like the other ships of the fleet, she was heavily laden with precious gems, gold, and silver, and bound for Spain.
The rich cargo, valued at hundreds of millions of dollars by today's standards, was lost at sea for nearly 360 years. The wreck of the Atocha was finally located in 1985 by Mel Fisher and a team of sub-contractors, joint ventures and investors who had scoured the sea bed for more than 20 years in search of this fabulous fortune.
Now, Circus Circus is displaying a small portion of the bounty for its guests.
Elaborating on the theme, the property is offering the Treasure Hunt Passport Adventure. Valued at more than $175, Passport booklets can be purchased at the hotel front desk, hotel store retail outlets and the casino VIP Club booth for only $39. Guests receive various benefits at selected property destinations, including four entries into the Pirate's Battle $1,000 Daily Slot Tournament and entries into drawings for vacation packages to Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay. A Grand Prize giveaway will reward a lucky participant with an eight-day, seven-night Caribbean Cruise.
During the Treasure Hunt Passport offer, certain areas of the hotel and casino have been redesigned in a pirate theme. Piles of gold and various jewels, palm trees, canvas scrolls, and huge stuffed animals in pirate's garb accent the decor.
For more information on the Treasure Hunt Passport package or the Treasures of the Atocha display, call 1-800-648-5010 or (775) 329-0711.
Green Flag
Tropicana Resort and CJPG
sponsor a
NASCAR team
The Tropicana Resort & Casino sponsored Ron Burns Racing's double entry at the 2nd Annual NASCAR Winston Cup series, held recently at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The Ron Burns #5 Ford NASCAR Winston West entry, and the Ron Burns #68 Ford Winston Cup Las Vegas 400 entry both boasted the Tropicana's logo while speeding around the track. Number 5 also sported the logo of Casino Journal Publishing Group, publishers of Casino Journal, Casino Player, and Strictly Slots. The Trop was the only Las Vegas property to sponsor such a vehicle.
Additionally, the Tropicana hosted the Penske-Kranefuss Racing Team and driver Jeremy Mayfield. Mayfield was honored with a VIP reception and a limited edition commemorative gaming chip.
