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Pechanga celebrates with a quarter of Vegas’ predicted crowd


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The inclusion of table games at Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem in mid- July 2010 hasn’t just boosted the Pennsylvanian casino’s overall GGR, but also, it would seem, the revenues on its amassed 3,000 slot machines.


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During 2010 the average monthly slots revenue at Sands Casino Resort Bethle- hem increased to US$21.55m compared with US$18.78m in 2009. On top of this, Sands collected an average of US$4.7m in table games revenue each month since August making it a very good 2010 indeed. The most obvious change


between 2009 and 2010 was, of course, the addition of table game in July 2010. Whilst table games do


attract extra players whose partners may then in turn play the slots, Sands’ slot revenue throughout 2010 even before the addition of the tables was strong. The monthly average pre-tables of $21.37m compares favourably to that with tables of $21.75m. Indeed, 2010 saw Sands’


monthly slots revenue reach more than $20m every


LVCVA wants Vegas to take control of events


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Sands Bethlehem’s monthly slot revenue over $20m


month except for February, a month hit by snow. The venue,


which


opened in May 2009 on the site of the historic Bethle- hem Steel plant, has been one of the State’s real success stories. As the most convenient gaming and entertainment destination for millions in the Lehigh Valley, New York City, and northern New Jersey, it recently gave these resi- dents more reasons to come


to Bethlehem by opening an additional 11 poker tables at the end of Decem- ber expanding its current poker room to a total of 23 games.


“Since opening table games here at the Sands in July there has been a very high demand for poker,” said Sands Bethlehem president Robert DeSalvio. “We are almost doubling the poker offerings at the property and providing our guests with


what they are looking for.” The addition of the 11


table games brought the property’s total number of table games to 100. In May 2011, the Sands will open its 300-room hotel tower. Overall, the amount of


gross revenue generated in December 2010 through the slots at Pennsylvania’s ten casinos rose 12.72 per cent over the previous year with the Commonwealth collecting $95,665,380, a


Atlantic City casinos inch closer to internet breakthrough


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Casinos in Atlantic City moved a step closer to being able to offer internet gaming to residents within the borders of New Jersey with the New Jersey legislature passing the Intranet-State Internet Gambling bill. It must now wait for the


signature of Governor Chris Christie at which point New Jersey would become the first state to regulate internet gambling. The bill, which was co-


sponsored by Senator Ray Lesniak


and Senator Joe Kryillos, was approved in the New Jersey Senate by a 34-2 vote. iMEGA chairman Joe Brennan


said: “Congratulations to New Jersey’s legislators on their overwhelming vote in favour of the Intra-State Internet Gambling bill. It’s clear that New Jersey’s representatives want their state to be at the forefront of the online gaming industry, both in the US and globally. With the combination of the top regulators in gaming, great information technology infrastructure, a highly-educated workforce, and the strong foundation and


24 February 2011 • northamericanews


leadership of the Atlantic City casino industry, New Jersey is certain to lead this industry’s growth in the US, while creating high-paying, skilled jobs in the technology sector and also attracting investment to the state.”


Anthony Singer, the president and CEO of High 5 Games, said it was ‘a historic day for New Jersey.’ “We are optimistic that


Governor Chris Christie will sign this important piece of legislation into law to revive the state’s gaming industry,” he said. “This law will allow our state’s gaming


industry to thrive, creating more jobs and much needed tax revenue for the people of New Jersey.” He said that New Jersey now had the chance of becoming the centre of the US iGaming industry. “As a major player in the state’s gaming industry since 1995, no company is as prepared as High 5 Games to lead the way online,” he claimed. “As a company that has always conducted its business ethically and responsibly, we look forward to forming future relationships and joint ventures with reputable businesses to best serve the people of New Jersey.”


per-day average of $3.08m in tax revenue. Pennsylvania Gaming


Control Board executive director Kevin O’Toole, said: “2010 was another good year of solid growth in slot revenue. For the fourth year in a row Pennsylvania saw an increase in revenue from legalised casino gaming and, with the popu- larity of tables games, tax revenue should continue to grow throughout 2011.”


With no new casinos opening on The Strip for the first time since 1989, Las Vegas oper- ators are working together on giving people more reasons to travel to Sin City. The opening of the $3.9bn Cosmopolitan in December should be the last new casino for some time, unless something miraculous happens with the unfinished Echelon and Fontainebleau projects.


Whilst some are welcom- ing the fact that room levels will stay at around the 150,000, others are con- cerned that the lack of a new project may dent enthusi- asm to visit. The Las Vegas Conven- tion and Visitors Authority has been holding meetings with the big hotels about how to develop more city- wide events and how to better advertise what the city offers.. Cathy Tull, senior vice


president of marketing at LVCVA, claims potential vis- itors want ‘transparency, value and variety.’ She high- lights the 41m people who aren’t opposed to visiting Vegas and says the city must work harder to bridge a ‘lack an understanding of what Vegas has to offer’ in terms of making sure people know exactly what shows are on and what chefs have restau- rants on the Strip.


She also believes that key to the coming year will be identifying three or four events that Las Vegas can embrace as a citywide expe- rience such as Halloween. Tull, who said the LVCVA had produced an estimated $650m in earned media value with its $87m advertis- ing budget, wants to make sure Vegas markets itself bullishly in a ‘Vegas owns Halloween’ way and also to make sure operators are offering services and an atmosphere geared toward Halloween.


More than 79,000 people descended upon Pechanga Resort and Casino in California over the two-day period of New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, equating to 25 per cent of the total number of people who were expected in Las Vegas during the same period. That is an increase of more than 5,000 people over last year’s NYE at Pechanga. Pechanga president Michelle Markstrom said: “We are becoming well known as the place to spend New Year’s in Southern California. No one else throws a party like Pechanga. We go to great lengths to offer something for everyone, in a world-class setting, to make for an extraordinary New Year’s filled with unforgettable moments.”


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