Cutbacks Growing in AC

Breaking news:
Borgata, Trump Taj Mahal and Trump Plaza lay off table games workers amid looser regulations
Posted: Tuesday, May 10, 2011 6:45 am | Updated:
8:55 am, Tue May 10, 2011.

By DONALD WITTKOWSKI Staff Writer

ATLANTIC CITY - Three casinos have cut their
table games staff in the latest wave of layoffs following
deregulation of the gaming industry that includes the
elimination of minimum staffing requirements.

Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa laid off about 50 workers,
while Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort and Trump Plaza H
otel and Casino made an unspecified number of job
cuts, the casinos announced Monday.

Cuts at Borgata, the Taj Mahal and Trump Plaza follow
an unspecified number of table games supervisory
layoffs last month at the Bally's, Caesars, Harrah's
Resort and Showboat casinos owned by Caesars
Entertainment Corp.

Frank Hutchinson, a Taj Mahal table games
supervisor who lost his job, directly blamed
Republican Gov. Chris Christie for the layoffs.
Hutchinson, 52, a Margate resident and 21-year
employee at the Taj Mahal, argued that job security
has all but vanished in Atlantic City's industry.

"This is all the result of Gov. Christie's deregulation
of the casino industry," he said. "This basically gives
the casinos free rein to do whatever they want. It's
accelerating. The jobs are disappearing or
evaporating at a mind-blowing pace."

Christie spokesman Mike Drewniak did not respond to
phone and email messages seeking comment. In the
past, the governor has said regulatory reform would
save the casinos money and help to revitalize the
Atlantic City economy, now mired in a four-
year slump.

Borgata and Trump Entertainment Resorts Inc. blamed
their job cuts on the weak economy and competition
from casinos in surrounding states. They also noted
that Christie's regulatory overhaul has given them
more leeway to make staffing adjustments.

"Increased regional competition and a challenging
economy make it necessary for us to continually
evolve the way that we do business," said Dave
Coskey, Borgata's vice president of marketing."
Changes that affect our associates are never taken
lightly. That's why we took the time to examine how
the regulatory changes would apply to our operations.
The changes result in an operation tha tmirrors most
other gaming jurisdictions, including Nevada." . . . atlantic city press

So when those short-sighted casinos get hit from every angle by dice sliders and card markers, because there aren't enough supervisors to catch them all...who will take the blame for that? Somehow I can't imagine it'll be the governor...

>>This is all the result of Gov. Christie's deregulation
of the casino industry," he said. "This basically gives
the casinos free rein to do whatever they want.>>

Yeah? So? I've been an employer and I always want free rein over my employees. So would you..

Quote: SanchoPanza

Frank Hutchinson, a Taj Mahal table games
supervisor who lost his job, directly blamed
Republican Gov. Chris Christie for the layoffs.
Hutchinson, 52, a Margate resident and 21-year
employee at the Taj Mahal, argued that job security
has all but vanished in Atlantic City's industry.

"This is all the result of Gov. Christie's deregulation
of the casino industry," he said. "This basically gives
the casinos free rein to do whatever they want. It's
accelerating. The jobs are disappearing or
evaporating at a mind-blowing pace."

Yeah, blame the govenor and not the fact that AC Casinos have failed to innovate. And blame the govenor, sit home, and cry about it. Don't consider trying to relocate and get a job at a booming PA casino.

What a loser.

There may be some merit in letting some of the people go. Save money and get rid of some excess management but often there is a reason they were mandated in the first place. Also if you overwork those who remain quality degrades. Floors are too busy to rate properly, disputes get out of hand, dice teams move in quickly, women with make up start touching the cards and men with tinted contact lenses start betting heavy.

And then of course the executives will take bonuses and complain about competition or the economy or something.

From what I can see, the casino business (specifically the casino department of a resort) does not create new jobs in Nevada. The Clark County casinos employ nearly the exact number of people as they did 20 years ago when the Mirage opened. "Given free reign all this expansion has been done via automation."

Quote: FleaStiff

the executives will take bonuses and complain about competition or the economy or something.

Posted: Thursday, May 12, 2011 12:00 am | Updated: 11:40 am, Thu May 12, 2011.

By DONALD WITTKOWSKI Staff Writer |

ATLANTIC CITY - Tropicana Casino and Resort's big-stakes table games strategy backfired in April, with one high roller taking the property for a record haul of $5.8 million.

As a result, Tropicana was the worst performer among Atlantic City's 11 casino hotels in April - a month that saw revenue tumble 7 percent for the entire industry. It was the 32nd straight month of lower revenue for the nation's second-largest casino market.

Altogether, the casinos posted $289.4 million in revenue from the slot machines and table games, compared to $311.5 million a year ago, the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement reported Tuesday. Slot winnings fell 3 percent to nearly $208.6 million, while table games revenue plunged 15 percent to $80.9 million.

Lately, Tropicana has been using high-stakes table games as the centerpiece of its casino operations. Tropicana had posted higher table-games revenue in six of the past seven months, but its lucky streak ended in dramatic fashion in April.

"We ran very unlucky," lamented Mark Giannantonio, Tropicana's outgoing chief executive officer. Giannantonio disclosed that one blackjack player won $5.8 million, but he declined to release the gambler's name.

"We had the single-largest winner in our history," Giannantonio said. "If it hadn't been for bad luck at the tables, we would have had a good month."

Giannantonio denied that the risky table-games strategy had cost him his job. Last week, parent company Tropicana Entertainment Inc. announced that Giannantonio had been fired. His replacement, veteran gaming executive Tony Rodio, will formally take charge at Tropicana on June 1. "I don't think it had anything to do with the decision," Giannantonio said.

Tropicana's table-games revenue plummeted 54 percent in April to $3.2 million. In April 2010, the casino took in $7 million at the gaming tables, meaning that the lucky blackjack player single-handedly ruined Tropicana's results this year. A poor showing at the gaming tables dragged down Tropicana's total revenue in April by 20 percent, the biggest decline in the industry.

Tropicana wasn't the only casino that got burned at the gaming tables. Both Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa and Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino suffered a 33 percent decline in table games revenue. Harrah's Resort and the Atlantic City Hilton were each down more than 20 percent at the table games. Resorts Casino Hotel also was a bit unlucky at the table games. Dennis Gomes, CEO of Resorts, said two high rollers won about $1 million in a single day.

"Two guys were the bulk of it. Otherwise, our numbers would have been up $1 million," Gomes said of the table games revenue.

Resorts, though, had a 7 percent increase in slot winnings to boost its total revenue by 4 percent for the month. Caesars Atlantic City was the only other casino to post higher revenue in April, up nearly 6 percent . . . ." atlantic city press

Resorts has recorded higher revenue for three months in a row, a sign that Atlantic City's oldest casino is starting to rebound under the new ownership of Gomes and New York real estate magnate Morris Bailey. "It's all positive. The place is full and our performance for the first quarter will show a bigger improvement than most of the other places," Gomes said.

Is it just me, or does it seem like a reality that based on all the gloomy news coming out of AC the past few years, the place is headed for ultimate doom? I've been there once, and was appalled at all the slums and bums beginning just across the street from the back of the casinos. The casinos don't appear to have done anything to help them out. Now the casinos are the problem. Time for a tsunami?

Quote: SanchoPanza

Tropicana Casino and Resort's big-stakes table games strategy backfired in April, with one high roller taking the property for a record haul of $5.8 million. As a result, Tropicana was the worst performer among Atlantic City's 11 casino hotels in April - a month that saw revenue tumble 7 percent for the entire industry. Lately, Tropicana has been using high-stakes table games as the centerpiece of its casino operations. Tropicana had posted higher table-games revenue in six of the past seven months, but its lucky streak ended in dramatic fashion in April.

It seems to me that they are running about $2 million per month higher than last year. Less a $5.8 million dollar whale haul, but factoring in the huge publicity windfall that will attract all kinds of players to that end of town, they should come out very much in the positive by the end of the year.

Tropicana	Apr-11	Mar-11	Apr-10	Mar-10
Blackjack	$(1,862,827)	$2,691,072	$1,961,149	$1,920,571
Craps	$974,231	$1,537,309	$916,382	$976,846
Roulette	$943,346	$1,072,413	$1,151,736	$1,185,814
Big Six	$105,532	$103,402	$99,822	$134,073
Minibaccarat	$1,234,155	$1,882,636	$710,000	$333,716
Other	$1,439,973	$1,329,295	$1,658,075	$1,950,957
Poker	$356,532	$343,965	$503,027	$547,188
Total	$3,190,942	$8,960,092	$7,000,191	$7,049,165

Congrats to mkl on his recent trip to the Trop.