 Newsletter Signup
Stay informed with the
NEW Casino City Times newsletter! |
Gaming News
Casino Exec Urges Rivals to Roll Back Giveaways25 May 2001ATLANTIC CITY, New Jersey –– As reported by the Ashbury Park Press: "…Paul Rubeli, president and chief executive officer of Aztar Corp., said the city's casinos should spend less money giving rolls of coins and other inducements to day-trippers and more to build hotel rooms or invest in non-casino amenities. "…Speaking at the fifth annual Mid-Atlantic Gaming Congress to several hundred casino executives, gaming industry analysts and regulators, Rubeli said more hotel rooms are needed to attract vacationers. "Casinos gave away $534.9 million in coin and cash `comps' -- free dinners, rooms and show tickets -- last year, 12.6 percent of casino revenue. "He said the gifts to day trippers don't yield much gain for casinos, because most of those visitors would come anyway. "…Rubeli said the [Tropicana] has already begun scaling back its coin giveaways to bus patrons and hopes to reduce it even more, and he urged competitors to follow suit. "…The Trop attracts as many as 200 buses per day, said Sherry Amos, the hotel's vice president of entertainment/media services and business planning. She said she has heard no negative reaction to reduced coin giveaways. "…Citywide, casinos gave away $153.6 million in coins last year, 3.6 percent of casino revenue. Showboat gave away the most, $18.3 million. The Trop gave $17.4 million…" |