{"id":16746,"date":"2015-09-16T10:31:29","date_gmt":"2015-09-16T18:31:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lasvegasadvisor.com\/stiffs-and-georges\/?p=16746"},"modified":"2023-01-27T04:54:42","modified_gmt":"2023-01-27T12:54:42","slug":"china-is-the-watchword-atlantic-city-rebounds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lasvegasadvisor.com\/stiffs-and-georges\/china-is-the-watchword-atlantic-city-rebounds\/","title":{"rendered":"China is the watchword; Atlantic City rebounds"},"content":{"rendered":"

Builders of $135 million\u00a0Lucky Dragon Casino<\/strong>, across Sahara Avenue<\/strong> from the former Circus Circus<\/strong> RV park, are fast-tracking the project for a mid-2016 opening. Financed with EB-5<\/strong> visa contributions, \"Lucky<\/a>Lucky Dragon hopes to be a one-stop shop for Chinese players visiting Las Vegas<\/strong>.\u00a0\u201cThe local and foreign clientele will go there as a destination and will not be interested in walking up and down the Strip,\u201d says planner<\/a> Greg Borgel<\/strong>. They’d better not be, as there’s nothing much in the area besides Bonanza Gifts<\/strong>, the Golden Steer<\/strong> restaurant and SLS Las Vegas<\/strong>. The latter, however, has already pinned its hopes for survival on the Lucky Dragon’s success. I dunno. Gamblers who make the Lucky Dragon their base of operations may not have much \"Lucky<\/a>incentive to seek the\u00a0offerings at SLS, which has more restaurants but lacks the Chinese-targeted amenities<\/a> (including private gambling rooms) planned for Lucky Dragon. And it cuts both ways: With only 206 hotel rooms at Lucky Dragon, SLS could find itself a “dormitory” for Lucky Dragon players. Also, will the Lucky Dragon’s target clientele embrace its isolated location. Like SLS, they’re banking on the completion of Resorts World Las Vegas<\/strong>, but that’s a long ways away, both geographically and temporally. Will Chinese players want to stay so far away from the heart of the action of the Las Vegas Strip<\/strong>, way down at Bellagio<\/strong> and its ilk? Union Gaming<\/strong> analyst Chris Jones<\/strong> exaggerates Lucky Dragon’s proximity to Chinatown<\/strong>. If it’s “barking up the right tree,” what \"William-Weidner\"<\/a>about Palazzo<\/strong> and Wynncore<\/strong>, which are a straight shot down Spring Mountain Road<\/strong> from Chinatown? (Ironically, former Sheldon Adelson<\/strong> lieutenant William Weidner<\/strong> is currently flying under the radar as Lucky Dragon president.) And, as Vegas Tripping<\/em> points out, Lucky Dragon will have to generate a player database from the ground up. As a boutique property with a highly targeted clientele, Lucky Dragon might succeed where SLS is failing but it’s not a sure thing.<\/p>\n