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Inside Gaming Column: Hey, Guys! The Strip's Over There ...12 January 2004LAS VEGAS -- "Casino" debuts this summer (date undecided) on Fox. Storyboards at the network say it's about two "new, young owners of the Golden Nugget hotel in Las Vegas (who) try ... rivaling other hotels on the Strip." Get real about the geography, guys. But, "Survivor" creator Mark Burnett is betting anything having to do with Las Vegas means success on TV. Still, gaming industry insiders are wary that Tim Poster and Tom Breitling, who are buying the Golden Nugget this month, are appealing to the wrong customer base. ¥ ¥ ¥ Down Easters say it's likely casino gambling will be on the ballot in Rhode Island this year. Representatives for Las Vegas-based Harrah's Entertainment have promised to be the first and foremost lobbyists in the statehouse this month, meeting with Democratic lawmakers and organized labor. The Narragansetts lobbied for a casino for years, before joining with Harrah's in late 2002. If the casino gambling measure is passed, a state gambling board will select a single operator. ¥ ¥ ¥ Independent bookstores may be passé, except on the glitziest strip of real estate in the world. A snug little book shop, the Reading Room, is tucked away in a ground floor nook of the walk space at Mandalay Place between Luxor and Mandalay Bay. It's said to be the brainchild of Mandalay Resort Group President Glenn Schaeffer, who has bragging rights as an Iowa Writers Workshop graduate. Cynics call it "bookstore lite" and say Schaeffer wants to leave no marketing niche unturned, but it still feels like a legitimate literati hangout. ¥ ¥ ¥ Caesars Entertainment seems to be getting serious about diversifying into the wintry North. It hired four lobbyists in Minnesota to pave the way for a Las Vegas-style casino there. The casino would be owned by a new state corporation and leased to a gaming company such as Caesars. Chief Executive Officer Wally Barr says he's upbeat about both the odds in Minnesota and his chances of getting the 10th gaming license in Illinois. ¥ ¥ ¥ The MRC Group Research Institute poll released last week included some curious findings. Not only did 1 percent of respondents say they came here over New Year's to get divorced (that's a winner), there were marked increases in people coming to go to topless bars, Hoover Dam, business meetings and conventions (what a combo). There was even an increase in people coming to ride a roller coaster -- and to gamble. Fewer people were here to hang out by the pool or shop than had been the case last summer. The Inside Gaming column is compiled by Gaming Wire Editor Rod Smith. You can contact him by phone at (702) 477-3893, fax (702) 387-5243 or e-mail at rsmith@reviewjournal.com. Copyright GamingWire. All rights reserved. |