“Cannibalization is the elephant in the room… I don’t believe that we have the capacity to open just another casino. We need something that’s more than a casino.”
—Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board Commissioner Gregory J. Fajt, at final licensing hearings for the second Philadelphia casino, on concerns the local market is saturated
“If you’re a host, your role should be to increase the casino’s revenue. The No. 1 rule is to keep them away from the competition. Make clear: The relationship is a business relationship, not a personal relationship.”
—Stephen R. Marshall, senior vice president of relationship marketing with the Fine Point Group, commenting during a webinar that a host is an advocate of the casino more than the player
“We have people from New York and Pennsylvania who come to New Jersey and they are playing online. We have people who travel for business and play when they are in town.”
—Steve Callender, general manager of Atlantic City’s Tropicana Casino and Resort to Staten Island’s SILive.com noting that about 1,000 of the casino’s new online player accounts have New York addresses even though the players must travel and be physically located in New Jersey while playing in the wake of reports of New Yorkers driving over the bridge to gamble in their cars in New Jersey
“Personally, I’ve never felt that there was much hope for legalization on the federal level given the lack of progress at getting anything done in Congress in recent years. Given the recent push by some for another prohibition bill, it may be back in debate, but not necessarily in a way that will foster regulation. Stay tuned, but don’t hold your breath.”
—Sue Schneider, of the iGaming North America Conference to be held in March to Yogonet.com on whether internet gaming will ever be legalized by Congress
“We live under a state-by-state regime in land-based gaming and embrace it today as the prevailing online solution. It is our belief that it is not too late for a federal bill given that only Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware have legalized online gaming, however we are succeeding at growing a meaningful business in Nevada and New Jersey and see momentum toward a rollout of future state-by-state legalization and compacting between states which will address the issue of scalability. So, we are very happy with the rollout of the first states and we are actively working to get the same result in a number of additional states. That is our focus.”
—Mitch Garber, CEO of Caesars Interactive to the Offshore Gaming Association’s website on whether there is still time for Congress to adopt federal rules for nationwide internet poker sites to accept bets across state lines
“I know there’s been some close ones. It is surprising there hasn’t been an overtime Super Bowl yet. Maybe we’re due. We expect it to be a close game.”
?Danny Trevathan, Denver Broncos linebacker, on Super Bowl XLVIII, which the Broncs lost 43-8 to the Seattle Seahawks
“As far as popularity went, no one was close to Denver’s level. Seattle was a popular team—with San Francisco, New England, Green Bay—but there was no comparison to Denver. People really believed they would be the team all year.”
?Chuck Esposito, Sunset Station sports book director, on the big Super Bowl upset when fans bet $119 million on the game in Las Vegas
“Everything with Manning is drawing money already. That’s where we’re writing most of our business—passing yards, passing touchdowns, rushing yards, longest completion, everything.”
?Nick Bogdanovich, sports book director, William Hill Las Vegas, before the Super Bowl
“I don’t understand Phil Lesh in a bowling alley. I’m sorry, I don’t get it.”
?Danny Zelisko, concert promoter, about the Grateful Dead bass player’s upcoming performance at the Linq’s Brooklyn Bowl in Vegas
“Orlando was never really in play. Dallas doesn’t even have a hometown rodeo.”
?Michael Gaughan, Nevada casino owner, on the dust-up between the National Finals Rodeo and Las Vegas. The NFR threatened to leave the city for Orlando or Dallas, then signed a new 10-year deal
“Thank God that what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, or at least it used to before mini-Vegases starting popping up like pimples all over the country.”
—Marc Munroe Dion, writing for the Herald News, opposing a proposed casino in Fall River, Massachusetts
“That’s not fair.We hear that, and one reasonable fix would be for the legislature to do whatever it would have to do to make that money refundable in the unlikely event that that all happened.”
—Stephen Crosby, chairman of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission commenting on whether potential casino developers would forfeit licensing fees if an initiative that would repeal the 2011 gaming expansion law were to pass in November
“This case is not about whether casinos are good public policy. It’s about whether the people will get to vote.”
—Thomas O. Bean, an attorney representing Repeal the Casino Deal, a group that wants to repeal the 2011 law authorizing three casino resorts and a slots parlor in Massachusetts
