“It is playing chess on a different level.”
—Rob Norton, general Manager of Maryland Live! casino, on whether he was confident his casino will be able to compete with the new Horseshoe Baltimore property, which opens this week
“When I’m on the road, I want my own bed. I don’t want 69 different hotel rooms, no matter how nice they are. I’m going to miss this place.”
?Harley Sponagle, RV tourist, lamenting the loss of KOA Campgrounds on the Vegas Strip, where the site will be cleared for a festival venue
“It’s convenient—you can walk to the soul of the Strip. But my kids are already complaining about the heat. This must be the hottest place in the world. It’s like hell.”
?Ivo Steenhuijsen, Dutch tourist and not-so-happy camper, on the heat at the KOA Campgrounds, soon to be vacated for a concert venue
“We’re talking about what Las Vegas might look like in 2017 or 2018 or 2019. There will be thousands of jobs created—construction jobs. It will help the local economy, there will be thousands of permanent jobs when these projects are opened.”
?Jim Murren, chairman, MGM Resorts International, on why he’s glad Aussie billionaire James Packer bought land on the Strip where the New Frontier used to stand
“Did he explain how 800,000 people got on or off the Absecon Island without causing gridlock for hours? Did he give any numbers suggesting how the hotel, motel, and housing stock on the island could absorb the numbers implied by his estimate?”
?Anthony Marino, formerly of the South Jersey Transportation Authority, complaining that the “official” estimate of guests for the Atlantic City Airshow is vastly inflated
“To allay anyone’s fears, be very sure no matter the size of a crowd, the island won’t tip over!”
?Allyn Seel, Atlantic City Office of Emergency Management, who stands by the estimate of some 800,000 spectators at the AC Airshow
“Lots of myths and tall tales surround Benny Binion. The family used to tell one in which Binion had a traffic accident in Dallas and was set upon by no less than a dozen thugs. That’s when Binion supposedly ripped a bumper from his car and used it to fell each and every savage attacker. He’s like Russell Crowe in Gladiator. The truth is he hit one person, a middle-aged woman. I spent a lot of time trying to verify stories like that.”
?Doug J. Swanson, author of a new book claiming at Vegas casino boss Benny Binion was an FBI informant
“For us it’s just about priorities and timing. While we’re always open to considering all options, building new housing is not on our immediate priority list, but we are looking at refurbishing existing buildings that we own for residential use.”
?Tony Hsieh, CEO, Zappos, on possible residential development in Downtown Vegas
“We know the casinos will stop at nothing to ensure their profits are protected.”
—Darek Barcikowski, campaign manager for Repeal the Casino Deal, which is attempting to pass a measure on the November ballot that would ban casinos in the Bay State
“When they get decided on the ballot, a very complex issue suddenly becomes a bumper sticker, and who has the catchiest bumper stickers is not the way to resolve these very complex and important issues.”
—Jeff Ciuffreda of the Springfield, Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce, discussing Question 3, which would repeal the gaming expansion law in the Bay State
“The way casino economics work, a select few will get rich and everyone else pays the price, so those that are anticipating some sort of direct financial benefit are pouring a lot of money into getting their side of the message out.”
—Alan Cabot, a leader of Massachusetts Repeal the Casino Deal, a question on the November ballot
“Before casinos became ubiquitous in New Mexico, I warned that these new enterprises, if you can call them that, produced neither a shovel, a T-shirt nor a tamale. I also wrote that the most they did was recirculate money taken from the people who could least afford to be snookered.”
—Orlando Romero, commenting on the gaming situation in New Mexico
“Expanded casino gambling in New Hampshire is just that, a gamble. Unfortunately, what is not a gamble are the problems it will bring even if it survives on a break-even basis.”
—Editorial, Foster’s Daily Democrat, criticizing New Hampshire Governor Maggie Hassan for her support of a casino in the state
