Rodio rebounds; Philly casino kaput

That was quick. Affinity Gaming made room in the CEO’s office in order to give the job to Tony Rodio. Newly unemployed, Tropicana Entertainment having been dissolved into Eldorado Resorts, Rodio wasn’t on the bread line for long. Rodio had been at TropEnt for seven years, during which time the company’s titular property in Atlantic City rose to the second place in the market, a status to which it firmly grips. “Tony is one of the top executives in the gaming industry and I’m confident that he is the right person to drive Affinity’s continued growth and enhanced commitment to the player experience,” said Z Capital Partners CEO James Zenni, who made the hire. Without casting any aspersions on his predecessor, Rodio will be a shot in the arm for Affinity and somebody who can lead it into a new, bigger era.

* Stick a fork in Stadium Casino in Philadelphia. A variety of sources are reporting that Cordish Gaming and Watouche “Bob” Manoukian are ditching the joint venture, and shopping its license around to interested parties. While we hope that the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board finally sees the light and puts the license in an underserved market like Johnstown (Stadium
would have been the fifth casino in the greater Philadelphia area), nothing is official yet. Abandoning Stadium Casino would mean $100 million down the drain for Cordish and Greenwood Racing in licenses.

Columnist Steve Ruddock argues, “At the end of the day, selling off the extra assets – the interactive permits, the Category 2 license in Philadelphia proper and the Category 4 license – could provide the best return on investment.” He also tips MGM Resorts International as “a solid backup plan,” especially since it could buy not only a metro casino license but a satellite-casino one as well. Since Jim Murren is gung-ho on the East Cost we like this scenario.

* Novomatic is $2.9 million the poorer after a court in Austria ordered it to refund a disordered gambler, finding that he was not responsible for his actions due to his addiction. The man’s losing run began in Vienna in 2002 and ran for 10 years. Slot machines have subsequently been banned in Viennese city limits. Novomatic plans to appeal the verdict.