When skepticism turns to outright ridicule, the writing is often on the wall for such a folie de grandeur as Howard Bulloch‘s SkyVue wheel … or rather the two, totemic poles that are we are ever likely to see of the project. The Vital Vegas blog, in a canny satire, has filmed a phony promotional spot that stars SkyVue mascot Tiny the Tumbleweed. (Tiny is, of course, as credible as all of SkyVue’s projected timelines.) Of the many good lines, one of my favorites is: “Rumors are circulating that the CGI version of the video may never become a reality due to budgetary constraints, and unconfirmed reports suggest the production team behind the video, including videographers, voice-over artists and editors, have yet to be compensated for their services.” That’s SkyVue in a nutshell, folks.
Whoever’s behind Vital Vegas, they have a sharp eye and a witty turn of phrase. (“There’s a lot to love about Las Vegas and casinos, but sometimes 
it gets awkward. You know, like having daycare services and video arcades inside casinos.”) Recently, its author dropped by the El Cortez and found a sign offering free play awards in return for $200+ ATM withdrawals. Not content to stop there, the El Cortez also encourages customers to make withdrawals from their Electronic Benefit Transfers — i.e., unemployment money. If somebody wants to make that (bad) decision on their own, it’s a free country, brother. But for a casino to incentivize the practice? That’s deplorable and the El Cortez should be ashamed of itself. It may also be skirting the border of legality.
After breaking in as a craps dealer in Atlantic City, a ways back, Rick Mazer is returning to the Boardwalk as Caesars Entertainment‘s new East Coast tribune. When Don Marrandino was ousted, Caesars tried dividing control of its Atlantic City properties between two different executives. But with Caesars having interests from up in Boston to down in North Carolina, a more widely empowered leader seemed necessary. Mazer turns in his Harrah’s Las Vegas/Quad/Flamingo portfolio in return for a more dog-eared one centering on a quartet of struggling A.C. casinos and a $126 million convention center in need of a jump-start. Or as The Press of Atlantic City puts it. “Mazer’s job will be to revitalize those casinos, which have suffered declining revenue and lower profits amid Atlantic City’s seven-year slump caused by the fragile economy and gambling competition in surrounding states.” Nothing to it! Mr. Mazer we salute you and wish you luck, because you’re certainly going to need it.
