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Execs: Racinos Need to be Ready for Competition

CHESTER, West Virginia – As reported by the Associated Press: "As more states consider allowing slot machines at racetracks and other venues, the operators of established so-called `racinos' will have to be more inventive, customer-oriented and determined to keep their clients, industry executives said Tuesday.

"`The day you get the legislation through is the day your work begins,' said Ted Arneault, CEO of MTR Gaming Group, which owns Mountaineer Race Track & Gaming Resort in Chester. "Your work is not done. You're just getting started."

"Arneault is hosting Racino 2003, a two-day conference for industry executives, public officials and others. A successful operation is a constant challenge, he said, because it involves regular lobbying of legislators for flexibility in accommodating gamblers' changing needs. It also means regularly upgrading amenities so gamblers will stay and play longer.

"…Wheeling Island Race Track & Gaming Center, meanwhile, has invested $68 million in amenities. Its parent, Delaware North Companies, is expanding in other states, said Jim Rafferty, vice president of marketing for the track.

"…Racetrack casinos can't afford to offer gamblers the high-priced perks they get in Las Vegas and Atlantic City N.J., but to thrive, they must offer a similar caliber of service, Rafferty said. They also need to emphasize convenience.

"He urged operators to focus on handle-to-handle time, or the distance a gambler must travel from the door handle of his car to the handle on the slot machine.

"…Arneault wants legislators to see racinos not only as money makers but as key components of an economic development strategy that creates jobs.."

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