{"id":14429,"date":"2014-08-28T12:19:58","date_gmt":"2014-08-28T20:19:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lasvegasadvisor.com\/stiffs-and-georges\/?p=14429"},"modified":"2023-07-27T04:17:29","modified_gmt":"2023-07-27T12:17:29","slug":"lovemans-big-score-slots-come-to-dayton","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lasvegasadvisor.com\/stiffs-and-georges\/lovemans-big-score-slots-come-to-dayton\/","title":{"rendered":"Loveman’s big score; Slots come to Dayton"},"content":{"rendered":"

“You’re in Baltimore<\/strong>, baby, it says so right there, in big gray block letters on a smokestack at the trash plant just past the entrance.” Caesars Entertainment<\/strong> CEO Gary Loveman<\/strong>, long celebrated as the wizard of database market, also finds himself on the leading edge of the urbanization of gambling<\/a>. He’d probably be comfortable with that description, considering that his stated vision for the casino industry is for it to be as omnipresent as McDonalds<\/strong>. The latest step in that direction is Horseshoe Baltimore<\/strong>, a gambling house whose biggest problem is that it has more would-be players than it can hold.<\/span><\/p>\n

Says Dr. David G. Schwartz<\/strong>, director of UNLV<\/strong>‘s Center for Gaming Research<\/strong> says, “There’s a growing embrace of gambling. Initially it was something people wanted to keep away from the urban core. Now, it’s a part of American life and if you’re going to have it, you should have it in a place where there are a lot of people.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Compared to Vegas, of course, it’s still somewhat small potatoes. Symbolically, one acrobat performed at the Horseshoe debut\u00a0where a Las Vegas Strip<\/strong> opening would field a whole troupe of them. But although it appeared initially that Horseshoe might get elbowed out by Baltimore Orioles<\/strong> fans headed to Camden Yards<\/strong>, the casino outdrew the ballgame. The casino might even justify a permanent increase in Charm City Circulator<\/strong> bus service.<\/p>\n

There’s also some competitive nastiness accompanying the opening. A Horseshoe employee is being sued by former employer Maryland Live!<\/strong> for allegedly stealing a VIP-player list and taking it to Horseshoe. Still, this supposed skullduggery just adds more spice to Horseshoe’s first bite of the market.<\/p>\n

* Another day in Ohio<\/strong>, another racino. In this case it’s a 1,000-VLT, $250 million Penn National Gaming<\/strong> property, Dayton Raceway<\/strong>. Harness racing doesn’t start\u00a0until Oct. 3 (kind of late in the year, no?) but simulcast wagering begins straightaway. In a bush-league move<\/a>, Penn is charging $5 for valet parking. Nobody would have the brass to attempt that in Las Vegas<\/strong>. Penn is still working on a Youngstown<\/strong> racino, slated to open Sept. 17, bringing gaming expansion in the Buckeye State to a close.<\/p>\n