That controversial “You Can’t Lose” promotion being fielded by Revel Resort is a hit with players even as it’s been panned by pundits. “Whoa, Smarty Jones. Not so fast,” cracked one.) The complexity of the deal is even being credited with a $10 million bump in revenue at Borgata. Revel is being dinged for doling out the credits in 5% dosages, which have to be played every week or you can kiss your free play sayonara. Since you have to sign up for a Revel players’ club card, too, it’s a fiendishly clever marketing strategy — one that has already boosted Revel revs to the tune of six million clams. Matching direct-mail offerings from rival casinos doesn’t hurt, either, even if the “refund” program tap dances around the fringe of what’s legal and what’s not. That Randall Fine is crazy like the fox.
Casino projects in Palmer, Massachusetts, and West Springfield are picking up support. Mohegan Sun‘s Palmer proposal doesn’t appear to be drawing any opposition, merely apathy. Selectmen in Palmer are concerned about how Mohegan Sun will look with a 150-foot hotel tower, but are sufficiently sanguine not to make it deal-breaking issue. A pair of police unions in West Springfield have thrown their weight behind Hard Rock International‘s proposal. The offer of a new, $4 million, all-expense-paid police substation can’t have hurt.
Over in Tewksbury, it’s trowel-on-the-charm time for Penn National Gaming. Penn has added a cineplex cum diner to its slot-parlor proposal. That might be just enough “wow” factor for Penn to best its three competitors (Raynham Park, Cordish Cos. and Rush Street Gaming). The Boston Globe‘s Mark Arsenault couldn’t resist teasing Penn for dropping its (overworked?) Hollywood theme in favor of what “will be gently titled Merrimack Valley Casino … which has a distinct ski-lodge flavor.” At $200 million, Penn will be spending well above the minimum investment, another reason for the Massachusetts Gaming Commission to look with favor on the proposal.
Laying another smackdown on its casino industry, Illinois has enacted a law requiring casinos to collect delinquent child-support payments. So, all you deadbeat dads out there, if you play at a casino in the Land of Lincoln, make sure you don’t win any more than $1,199.99 or the state — through its new casino proxies — will have your ass in a sling. Illinois may only be following precedents set in Indiana and Iowa, but S&G isn’t keen on making casinos enforcement arms of state or federal government.
Meanwhile in Spain … the only smoke to be seen is that which is coming out of Sheldon Adelson‘s ears. A 75% cut in gaming taxes isn’t good enough for Adelson, who wants to have the only business in Spain exempted from its smoking ban. Las Vegas Sands hopes to have so-called EuroVegas open by the end of 2018 but the Spanish government’s easygoing, manana attitude calls that timeline into question.
Glad Revel is doing better, but YES! I stay at the big “B” and I spoke to a bunch of patrons who cruised on over there after they got the real details behind the Revel promotion. Revel brought them into town (they are running commercials all over the NY) and they go to Borgata!
I thought that MGM Springfield would be a slam dunk for the commission, but do not discount Hard Rock. They are doing massive community based events and support is snowballing for them (but I still like the MGM proposal).
Wouldn’t it be a helluva thing if all three of Massachusetts’ casinos wound up being tribally owned? There’s Mohegan Sun AND Hard Rock International in the west, Foxwoods in the east and the Mashpee Wampanoags in the southeast. It could happen.