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Industry Execs: Las Vegas Kid Friendly Attitude an Act26 March 2002LAS VEGAS –As reported by UPI—“…Here's what Casino Men say when you ask them, off the record, what they think of children: ”`Hate 'em!’ "`I'll welcome children in my casino as soon as they legalize blackjack for 8-year-olds.’ ”…On the record, they say they'll do everything possible to make Las Vegas a satisfying family destination for those who choose to travel with their loved ones. "`Look, the average age of our customer is 49,’ says Glenn Schaefer, president of Mandalay Bay Group and the man directly responsible for 27,000 rooms and five casinos on the Strip. ”…`So we market to the baby boomers. The fastest growing expenditure for people 45 to 60 is entertainment. These people have the most discretionary income. Perhaps 50 percent of all casino income is from this group.’ ”`But 26 percent of those people were here for the first time. Well, if they were devoted gamblers, they would have always been here. So what made them suddenly come this year? I think it's that we're offering them a sense of youth.’ ”…In other words, a place where people want to be kids, not supervise them. Quite a statement from the man who manages Circus Circus, Excalibur and Luxor, all of which have a reputation for being kid-friendly. Circus Circus is actually the original property from which all the other Mandalay Bay casinos grew and it's widely perceived as being a place suitable for children because of its non-stop circus acts in the gambling areas. ”In fact, Circus Circus was conceived by Jay Sarno in 1968 as more of an adult carnival, the naughty side of the midway, and one of its most popular attractions for years was the `Bed Toss,’ in which two heartily-endowed German girls would sleep on a bed until someone hit a target over their heads. The target would trigger a mechanism that hurled them out of the bed, and they would proceed to dance topless around the lucky winner. ”…`Now Las Vegas has become a little friendlier. We're more politically correct, but we're not doing anything to encourage children in Las Vegas.’ [says Alan Feldman, the spokesman for the 16 Mirage/MGM properties.]. ”`That whole kids-in-Vegas thing,’ says Rob Goldstein at The Venetian. `Wasn't that over in about five minutes? Why are people so interested in that?’ ”…You kids go on home now. It's getting dark.” |