Those of you living in Pittsburgh may remember all of the hoopla associated with the preparation and launching of the Rivers Casino, which recently opened.
First was the debate over where to put this casino. After the powers that be rejected an offer by one developer (who promised to not only build the casino uptown but also to build--completely free of charge--a new arena), the winner ended up being developer Don Bardo. Bardo, whose winning bid placed the casino on the north side, promised, with local politicos joined at his hip, lots of things. Oodles of revenue to reduce everyone's real estate taxes! A boon to the local tourist industry! And who can forget Smokey Robinson, Bardo's bud and business partner, who was going to be a frequent headliner in the casino's lounge.
Not long after the new casino broke ground last year did Bardo get into financial trouble and lost (or couldn't come up with the promised) financing. Another consortium picked up where Bardo left off, and the casino opened to very little fanfare.
A terrific story in the Post-Gazette reported that the Rivers Casino is doing significantly less business than anticipated, and the S&P has reduced its creditworthiness by a notch.
First was the debate over where to put this casino. After the powers that be rejected an offer by one developer (who promised to not only build the casino uptown but also to build--completely free of charge--a new arena), the winner ended up being developer Don Bardo. Bardo, whose winning bid placed the casino on the north side, promised, with local politicos joined at his hip, lots of things. Oodles of revenue to reduce everyone's real estate taxes! A boon to the local tourist industry! And who can forget Smokey Robinson, Bardo's bud and business partner, who was going to be a frequent headliner in the casino's lounge.
Not long after the new casino broke ground last year did Bardo get into financial trouble and lost (or couldn't come up with the promised) financing. Another consortium picked up where Bardo left off, and the casino opened to very little fanfare.
A terrific story in the Post-Gazette reported that the Rivers Casino is doing significantly less business than anticipated, and the S&P has reduced its creditworthiness by a notch.
The whole casino debacle has had me scratching my head for so long it's any wonder I have any hair left. To this day, I cannot understand how a plan that included not only a casino but a free arena was passed over by Bardo's north side casino.
It's not a huge surprise to me that the casino is not doing well. For one thing, how the hell do you get over there? The location of the casino is in no man's land, sandwiched between the Carnegie Science Center and Heinz Field in a section of the north side that is completely inaccessible to pedestrians and difficult to reach by car, thanks to a mystifying labyrinth of roads.
The new casino is offering no free shuttle service, which to me is a major misstep. The only shuttle in operation is privately owned and costs $10 each way. While the casino advertises having a complimentary garage, there have been reports that on Steelers game days patrons had to pay up to $50.
Unlike many casinos, the Rivers is becoming famously stingy on its amenities: no free alcohol, soft drinks sparingly doled out, and the casino's "Players Card" giving away very few freebies and players reporting better luck on the machines playing with cash rather than with the Card.
I hate to say I told you so, but I never bought into Ravenstahl's and Onorato's rhetoric that all this money would pour in, which would translate into property taxes being slashed. We're in the middle of a recession, people! No one has money to spend.
The other big problem with the Rivers Casino is the competition. The Meadows racetrack added a casino at about the same time the Rivers opened. Unlike the Rivers, it's right off a major interstate, has ample free parking, and also offers harness racing. While it is south of the city, the Meadows has the advantage of an easy drive and a well-marked route to get them there.
It's not a huge surprise to me that the casino is not doing well. For one thing, how the hell do you get over there? The location of the casino is in no man's land, sandwiched between the Carnegie Science Center and Heinz Field in a section of the north side that is completely inaccessible to pedestrians and difficult to reach by car, thanks to a mystifying labyrinth of roads.
The new casino is offering no free shuttle service, which to me is a major misstep. The only shuttle in operation is privately owned and costs $10 each way. While the casino advertises having a complimentary garage, there have been reports that on Steelers game days patrons had to pay up to $50.
Unlike many casinos, the Rivers is becoming famously stingy on its amenities: no free alcohol, soft drinks sparingly doled out, and the casino's "Players Card" giving away very few freebies and players reporting better luck on the machines playing with cash rather than with the Card.
I hate to say I told you so, but I never bought into Ravenstahl's and Onorato's rhetoric that all this money would pour in, which would translate into property taxes being slashed. We're in the middle of a recession, people! No one has money to spend.
The other big problem with the Rivers Casino is the competition. The Meadows racetrack added a casino at about the same time the Rivers opened. Unlike the Rivers, it's right off a major interstate, has ample free parking, and also offers harness racing. While it is south of the city, the Meadows has the advantage of an easy drive and a well-marked route to get them there.
Of course, one only has to drive a bit further on Route 79 past the Meadows to get to Wheeling Downs. There, guests can enjoy the slot machines, and harness racing, and table games. It would be interesting to me to see what kind of decrease Wheeling Downs has experienced from fewer Pennsylvania gamblers. My instincts tell me it's not been much of a dip.
I can't stand the fact that we have gambling in Pittsburgh in the first place, but with that said, if we're going to have gambling here, we might as well take steps to make the casino as attractive as possible. The Rivers can step up to the plate and start offering free shuttle service from downtown, pony up more freebies (especially for Reward Card holders), and offer visitors superlative service. The county (or appropriate powers that be) should take the necessary steps so the Rivers can add table games, making it market competitive and to ensure its long-term success.
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