Election update: Evening the score; A Wynn-Winn situation

It’s five o’clock in Shreveport … or soon will be. Voters in Bossier Parish handed the casino industry a belated 2011 “win,” balancing the ledger in an otherwise disappointing electoral cycle. A Margaritaville-branded casino (employing a Lake Charles boat purchased from Isle of Capri Casinos) received 61% support at the ballot box. For $195 million, developers promise a 400-room hotel, 38 tables, 1,275 slots and a slew of other amenities. Count me among those who are skeptical that this will actually grow the Shreveport market — especially not at that budget — but it’s a gamble voters were willing to take.

Louisiana‘s coming off a rough October, its casinos down 8% statewide. That’s really not good news if you’re Pinnacle Entertainment and count on the Pelican State for over 60% of your cash flow. All of the Shreveport-area casinos had a rough time of it, except for Eldorado Shreveport (+1%, with a $13 million gross). What do the Caranos know that their competitors don’t?

An infusion of new, Pinnacle product can’t come a day too soon for Baton Rouge (-6%), as market share seesaws between Penn National Gaming and Tropicana Entertainment. That market wasn’t not hurting nearly as badly last month as New Orleans (-9%) or Bossier City (-15%). The first two are still on pace to eke out a revenue-positive year but Shreveport won’t be so fortunate. The Crescent City is far from the highest-grossing market but it shows many fewer signs of cannibalization than Shreveport. The latter remains the top-grossing region in the state but that business is just spread too thin. The only market posting positive comparisons was — you guessed it — Lake Charles (+1%). Caesars Entertainment screwed itself out of a catbird seat there, arguably the most baffling of many difficult-to-fathom decisions made on Gary Loveman‘s watch.

In case you didn’t hear, Le Reve at Wynncore is now Le Reve: The Dream. One presumes this is part of Marilyn Winn Winn-Spiegel Spiegel‘s ongoing campaign to dumb down Wynncore. Methinks Spiegel has just scratched the surface of Wynn-for-Dummies redundancy here. Without even getting into Encore (possible redub: Encore Encore), we could have Bartolotta Seafood Ristorante di Mare Restaurant, Country Club Golf Course Grill, La Cave: The Cave, Lakeside Grill by the Lake, Okada: big Japanese investor, Pizza Place Pizzeria, SW Steakhouse: Steve Wynn’s Steak House, Tableau: Picture, Wing Lei: What’s That?, Tryst: Hookup and — OK, it’s Encore but just for the hell of it — XS: Excess. As her crowning gesture, Spiegel could rename the whole place, Steve Wynn’s Wynn Las Vegas. ‘Cuz I think the current branding is too oblique, wouldn’t you agree?

Rival Strip operators, don’t get caught napping! Wynn and Winn-Spiegel could open a vast Redundancy Gap. Consider the possibilities: Mystere: Mystery … Paris-Las Vegas Las Vegas … Cirque du Soleil®‘s Viva ELVIS™ (Presley) by Cirque du Soleil® … and of course O: o. (I’d add Playboy Comedy but that’s more in the nature of an oxymoron.) Help them, S&G readers! The most redundant idea submitted wins you a free copy of the 2012 edition of Eating Las Vegas. If that’s not incentive enough, I’ll get Al Mancini to autograph it. Be the first on your block! Impress your friends!