From publicly mulling a Horseshoe rebranding to talk of a new hotel tower, Caesars Entertainment has never seemed to know quite what to do with Bally’s Las Vegas, white 
elephant of its parade of Strip casinos. The Las Vegas Weekly‘s Brock Radke has taken a gander at the latest prettying-up around the edges and come away unimpressed. At least when the Grand Bazaar Shops formally open on Feb. 26, we’ll learn if the Las Vegas Strip needs another 120 Swatch and Ugg boutiques. One thing certain to set the Bazaar apart is the Swarovski crystal store, shaped like a diamond and crowned with a Yesco-devised 14-foot LED installation that at “midnight every night, the starburst will blast out a three-minute light and sound show.”
Another indication of Bally’s identity crisis was the demise, after seven months, of gay-male-targeted Liaison nightclub. This was one of the first overt attempts on the Strip to court the LGBT demographic and it makes you wonder that, if Victor Drai failed, how long it will be before anyone dares taking the same path. (Others contend that Liaison was too upscale and insufficiently raunchy.) In its place we are promised “an exciting new nightlife concept.”
Aren’t they always?
* Has Atlantic City‘s long financial freefall finally stabilized? Gaming revenues were down only two-tenths of a point in January and, on a “same store” basis were up 18%. It seems like 
there’s nothing wrong with the Atlantic City economy that a few casino closures didn’t cure (well, except for that shrinking property-tax base). Internet gaming was good for New Jersey, too, up 8% last month and raking in nearly $12 million.
Coin-in and table play were both down, 3% and 11% respectively, but a 8% increase in table revenue — the house played very lucky — evened things out. Borgata beat expectations healthily, with an 18% and $57 million gross. Slot revenue was up 18% on heavy coin-in (+12%). Borgata also continues to lead the Internet market with 33%, while Caesars Interactive, the Golden Nugget and the Tropicana Atlantic City divide the rest pretty evenly between them.
Harrah’s Resort gained 20% ($31 million) and Caesars Atlantic City jumped 30% ($23 million). In this context, Bally’s Wild Wild West underperformed, up 7% on $16 million. The stumblebums at Trump Taj Mahal continue to race toward the bottom of the market (currently the province of Resorts Atlantic City), with a $12 million gross and 21% decline. Resorts, meanwhile, managed a 32% increase, grossing $11 million.
The Overachiever Award goes to the Golden Nugget, whose $16 million gross was good for a staggering 51% increase. It’s still not quite caught the Trop, which pulled in $20 million, worth a 20%. Really, unless you’re a Trump Entertainment Resorts executive, these are good times to be operating on the Boardwalk.
* Strapped for civic cash, Nevada Treasurer Dan Schwartz is taking the easy way out and calling for an increase on casino taxes, always the first resort of a fortitude-challenged bureaucrat.
