In 2010, Pinnacle Entertainment owned both Lumière Place and River City in the St. Louis area. But on April 1, Tropicana Entertainment bought Lumière Place and its two hotels for 0 million, as required by the Federal Trade Commission as part of Pinnacle’s .8 billion purchase of Ameristar Casinos.
Now Lumière Place Vice President and General Manager Jeff Babinski said he wants to recapture business lost to River City since it opened in 2010, the same year he joined Lumière Place. River City added a hotel last year to keep gamblers on premises longer.
According to the Missouri Gaming Commission, in April 2010, River City had revenue of $13 million versus Lumière Place’s $17.5 million. In April 2014, River City’s revenue was $17.5 million and Lumière Place’s was $11.1 million. “If we can recapture even some of that revenue I think that will be success for us,” Babinski said.
That could be a challenge, according to a report by accounting and business consulting firm RubinBrown, which indicated nationally, gaming revenue has recovered from the recession with a record $66.3 billion last year. But St. Louis, while still a billion-dollar gaming market, dropped two spots to seventh among the nation’s commercial gaming markets.
Babinski said Tropicana is considering a “bigger idea” for the area surrounding it, which currently consists of parking lots. He said all casinos have slot machines, table games, restaurants and entertainment, but Lumière Place can top competitors through superior service. Tech-savvy gamblers can quickly help or harm a casino with online comments about their visits, he said.
“I want to make sure I have 1,200 employees who love coming to Lumière Place and want to engage with our customers,” Babinski stated.
