Atlantic City Say It's Increasing Comps

Quote: FatGeezus

If I can gamble 24/7/365, why do my offers have to be restricted to certain times?

I strongly suspect that many offers are designed/intended to attract customers during periods when the demand is typically low. I receive many offers for free or reduced-price rooms Sunday through Thursday nights. They don't offer me free rooms on Friday and Saturday nights, presumably because the demand for lodging is higher on those nights -- either someone will pay for the rooms or they want to have the rooms available to a more-highly-desired gambler than me. They also spread out your offers (match play, free bets, etc.) so that in order to collect on all of them you must come to the casino multiple times. That is to their advantage, and they probably only want to offer enough on any one day to get you in the door, not enough for you to expect to profit financially from the day's experience.

Quote: FatGeezus

Comp offers that are good 24/7/(365?)

If I can gamble 24/7/365, why do my offers have to be restricted to certain times?

I'm guessing that you are not going to be shopping for gifts on Black Friday. I also guess you don't search for sales and if an item is on sale, great, if not, no big deal. You don't allow any marketing gimmick to affect your play.

There are very few offers that I've gone out of my way to take advantage of... most of them had an extended time frame or I would have been making the trip anyways. One time, I received an offer from Four Winds in New Buffalo, MI for $150 in free slot play. It was about an hour and half away, but I had about a month to redeem it. I went on a day off from work, used it, ate my free meal, and came home. All in all, I ended up about $250 (I played VP and hit a four of a kind on $1).

I don't blame casinos at all if they want to set parameters for certain offers. Yes, it's annoying if two offers don't coincide (Hollywood Casinos are known for this); but that's the whole point. And as a previous poster said, if you're playing for that reason, you probably have a bigger problem. Does it limit my play for that reason alone? Absolutely not. Do I schedule a trip because of offers? Absolutely not. If I've got two places to choose from for a trip and one has an offer and the other doesn't, does that influence my decision? Absolutely.

Quote: FatGeezus

The only money college kids have is their parents money.

And who was that third year college student in Atlanta who quit to go on the professional poker circuit? There is intense gambling and drinking on college campuses. Prostitution rates are fairly high and disposable income for college coeds is therefore enhanced.

Quote: Tiltpoul

And as a previous poster said, if you're playing for that reason, you probably have a bigger problem. Does it limit my play for that reason alone? Absolutely not. Do I schedule a trip because of offers? Absolutely not. If I've got two places to choose from for a trip and one has an offer and the other doesn't, does that influence my decision? Absolutely.

I totally agree with you at this point. I think everyone would choose a casino which has some offers unless the other one is your favorite place to play.

Admin note: removed hidden spam links - JB

Quote: Tiltpoul

I'm guessing that you are not going to be shopping for gifts on Black Friday. I also guess you don't search for sales and if an item is on sale, great, if not, no big deal. You don't allow any marketing gimmick to affect your play.



Do I schedule a trip because of offers? Absolutely not. If I've got two places to choose from for a trip and one has an offer and the other doesn't, does that influence my decision? Absolutely.

No shopping on Black Friday for me. Think of me when you're fighting the crowds.

I don't let my comp offers influence me when to take a trip. I go when I want to go. It's never on a Sat or Sun. Those days are too crowded. Long lines at the restaurants and crowded tables.

Quote: Kasinas

I totally agree with you at this point. I think everyone would choose a casino which has some offers unless the other one is your favorite place to play.

Welcome to the forums.

Just to be clear...I play to win $$$$. I don't play for comps.

Not really to be a trouble maker, but I'm curious: is the white-text link to another web site that is sorta hidden in Kasinas's very first post ever (and copied in FatGeezus's quote) a spam item or something appropriate to have in posts here?

Quote: Kasinas

I think everyone would choose a casino which has some offers unless the other one is your favorite place to play.

And if you play enough at your favorite casino, they will start sending you offers, so you can have the best of both worlds.

Pennsylvania reported it's November slot revenue, the first month opposite the new Racino in Queens NY. Although I didn't think PA would take too bad of a hit, I was surprised to see revenue up by 6.5% over last November. Partly it is the opening of stores in Bethlehem Sands, and partly the Sugarhouse was still not up to full steam last November, but there was an all around good month.

So if PA was not hurt in slots, there is almost no chance that it will be hurt in table games, because the New York casino does not have any table games. It makes me wonder how bad a hit Atlantic City is going to take when they report sometime in the next two weeks.

Resorts Casino seems to be increasing room, food and drink revenue with it's adult and gay attractions, but gaming revenue is dropping. You could argue that gaming revenue was going to drop anyway (along with the rest of AC), so at least the business model is headed in the right direction.

It's still too early to tell if ACH is going to be more profitable as a "locals casino".

Trump Plaza is replacing ACH as the poster child for Atlantic City hurt.

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The Aqueduct casino earned $14 million in its first 10 days of operations. That is stronger than any Atlantic city casino except the Borgata.

Study: Atlantic City casino revenue will decline through 2015
By DONALD WITTKOWSKI Staff Writer pressofAtlanticCity.com |
Thursday, December 8, 2011 1:00 am

Atlantic City gaming revenue will continue to fall through 2015, eventually bottoming out at $2.8 billion annually, a new research report grimly predicts of the nation’s second-largest casino market. The PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC study estimates U.S. gaming revenue will grow 5 percent overall from $57.5 billion in 2010 to $73.3 billion in 2015, aided by an economic recovery and continued expansion in the regional casino markets.

However, Atlantic City’s casino industry will be the only market to have lower revenue in 2015 than 2010, PwC says. Atlantic City is already mired in a five-year revenue slump caused by the sluggish economy and competition from casinos in surrounding states, particularly archrival Pennsylvania. “(Of) all the segments of the U.S. casino gaming industry, the Atlantic City market is at the greatest risk from the combined impacts of economic uncertainty and intensifying competitive pressures from regional casinos,” the report states. “These worries are being borne out by our projections, with Atlantic City set to be the only segment of the U.S. market whose revenues will be lower in 2015 than 2010.”

Tony Rodio, a top Atlantic City gaming executive, disputed the predictions, calling them “a dim view.” He said the report overlooks two key positive developments starting next year — the grand opening of the $2.4 billion Revel casino, and a new $30 million-per-year marketing fund to promote the city. The marketing fund will be overseen by the Atlantic City Alliance, a public-private partnership between government and the casino industry.

“I think with the opening of Revel and the Atlantic City Alliance, you’re going to start to see Atlantic City rebound,” said Rodio, president and chief executive officer of Tropicana Casino and Resort. . . . At this point, the new $830 million Resorts World Casino at the Aqueduct racetrack in Queens is limited to video slot machines and electronic table games. Rodio said it appears the Resorts World Casino has had no impact so far on Tropicana’s slots business, but he warned about live table games eventually coming to New York. Political debate has already begun about possibly legalizing live table games in New York.

“If and when New York gets table games, that certainly will hurt,” Rodio said of Atlantic City.--acpress

Quote: SanchoPanza

By DONALD WITTKOWSKI Staff Writer pressofAtlanticCity.com |
Thursday, December 8, 2011 1:00 am
Atlantic City gaming revenue will continue to fall through 2015, eventually bottoming out at $2.8 billion annually

AC is at $3.334 billion for the last four quarters, and they still haven't reported how well they did after Aqueduct Racino opened in Queens. Recently the AC Press published a report that it would stop at $3.5 billion and level off.

The 4 year predictions are almost impossible to make. They are just for headlines. Revel might level off revenue. I just don't think it will increase it. It will be much easier to steal the existing customers than bring new ones in.

The market has spoken. For the most part people will choose convenience over most everything.

I have no idea when I signed up, but today I got an email from Revel.

It is NOT announcing the projected grand opening, but that they hired a celebrity chef.

Here's the web version

Quote: pacomartin

The market has spoken. For the most part people will choose convenience over most everything.

That seems to be it. If two casinos are equally convenient the deciding factors may be strangely whimsical but rarely is the donkey actually equidistant between the two bales of hay. There may be preferences and various advantages, but in general players seem to choose the shortest travel time.

Quote: FleaStiff

That seems to be it. If two casinos are equally convenient the deciding factors may be strangely whimsical but rarely is the donkey actually equidistant between the two bales of hay.

The donkey works hard all day, and the last thing he wants to do is spend time travelling just so he can gamble.

I've got a copy of that pic captioned "Proof Positive That You Can Overload Your Ass!"

Joe Steinfield recently had a viral hit with his map of NJ stereotypes.


Camden, NJ is the 2nd most dangerous city in America for two years in a row (behind Flint, MI).

Atlantic city had a pretty bad November, so it can probably count the Aqueduct Casino in Queens as a serious competitor.

Borgata is down 0.8% this year. The worst performing casino is Trump Plaza (down 22.3%) while overall NJ is down 7.7%.

Trump may have to give away the Plaza just to stop the bleeding.

Quote: pacomartin

Joe Steinfield recently had a viral hit with his map of NJ stereotypes.

wow, what a nasty zit on the zone of the happy white people! I can't decide if the other spot there is a bruise. And somehow I didnt think that was where the Pineys were to be found.

Quote: odiousgambit

wow, what a nasty zit on the zone of the happy white people! I can't decide if the other spot there is a bruise. And somehow I didnt think that was where the Pineys were to be found.

I think Camden is where European white people go for concerts at the Susquehanna Center and to the aquarium.


A more official map of the Pinelands.

Sweet. I live in the North end of "Friendly white people."

But for the last three days, I was one of the "Misguided tourists."

I'll have an A.C. trip report when I'm on a computer, and not on my iPhone, in a WiFi bus.

Quote: DJTeddyBear

Sweet. I live in the North end of "Friendly white people."

"Friendly white families" is a small region. I don't know the stereotypes well enough to make a map like that, but I did find myself nodding my head in agreement. All except "Ghetto in the woods" and "Hill people" which were not terms I had ever heard before.

Does Ghetto in the Woods refer to a developing trend of even the illegal immigrants fleeing the various cities and opting for a convenience store outside some state park or does it specifically refer to high Jewish population density in otherwise sparsely populated, recreational areas such as national parks?

Are Lawyers Driving Hybrids any different than some other economic level trying to "Be Green For The Greater Glory of Madison Avenue"?

..."given the gaming industry’s traditional practice of shielding gamblers in atmospheres where clocks, natural light, cell phone reception and other reminders of reality are scarce."

Zoning and design differences between Pacific Avenue and The Boardwalk for casinos.

Article here.

Quote: FleaStiff

Zoning and design differences between Pacific Avenue and The Boardwalk for casinos.

I think they are dreaming if they think that they can fill up that long stretch of Pacific Avenue with shops.

nice view from lighthouse taken September 2011

Quote:

Convert the first level of the parking garages into retail.

Considering it's been years since those garages have been even close to capacity, that's not a bad idea at all.

Quote:

... Fiedler said, “The last thing you want is a grim gauntlet of granite and glazed glass.”

Wow. Say THAT three times fast.

Re: "There are a lot of thoughts that used to be prevalent in the gaming industry that are no longer relevant. If it makes sense for the situation, I’d do it, regardless of the old thought process that you want them walking through the casino (to get to retail and dining outlets),” DeSanctis said.

Congratulations! It took these titans of business just a little bit more than 30 years to start realizing that their money-grubbing ways would ultimately be counterproductive. Of course, the demise of their protected monopoly along with the advent of intense competition that could preclude the titans' paying off their humongous debts might have something to do with it. Right, Donald?

And as far as the attractiveness of Pacific Avenue, it didn't seem to bother Arthur Goldberg that much when he re-did the Bally's entrance and then the Wild Wild West walkway. It is also notable that access to attractions at the Quarter like Palm is much easier from the street than from the casino.

Quote: pacomartin

nice view from lighthouse taken September 2011

Wanna try something fun? Adjust the view so you're looking straight down.

Quote: SanchoPanza

Re: "There are a lot of thoughts that used to be prevalent in the gaming industry that are no longer relevant. If it makes sense for the situation, I’d do it, regardless of the old thought process that you want them walking through the casino (to get to retail and dining outlets),” DeSanctis said.

Keep in mind that DeSanctis is the CEO of Revel - the new kid on the block scheduled to open soon.