Pennsylvanias Casino Table Games Expected to Attract Players from West Virginia
For casino table games enthusiasts like Jesse Torres, the arrival of casino games like craps to Pennsylvania's casino facilities later this year will mean no longer making the trip to the Mountain State. The 64 year-old retired steel worker said that he will stay in Pennsylvania to enjoy the casino table games that he loves.
Since Gov. Ed Rendell approved the addition of casino table games in slots facilities in Pennsylvania last month to help balance the state budget, Pennsylvania casino operators have immediately started conducting job fairs to hire casino table games dealers, cocktail servers and other essential casino staff. Operators say that casino table games could improve their revenue by 25% to 30% at their slots-only gaming facilities.
Wheeling Island, which is less than an hour's drive from Pittsburgh, is one of the two West Virginia casino facilities that attract a considerable chunk of casino table games business from Ohio and Pennsylvania players.
The other one is the Mountaineer Casino Racetrack and Resort in Chester, West Virginia. Torres, who lives in Midland, Pennsylvania, about thirty miles south of Pittsburgh, is one of Wheeling's regular players. He said that he had been to the Meadows and the Rivers casino, which are closer to his residence, but he loves playing craps and roulette which are not available in the two casinos.
Torres added that with both casinos offering casino table games within six months, there is no need for him to travel to Wheeling. The Rivers Casino has plans to offer sixty casino table games, including craps and a high-stakes poker room by summer. A spokesperson said on February 8th, 2010 that The Meadows Racetrack and Casino intends to install about sixty-five casino table games in about six months, pending final regulatory approval by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.
44 year-old Red Myers, who said that the casino table games should help the newer Rivers Casino, which has struggled against the Meadows Casino. The president and chief executive officer of VisitPittsburgh, Joe McGrath, said that he will meet with the Rivers Casino's senior management to go over a new marketing plan at the casino.
VisitPittsburgh is the official tourism and convention agency for Allegheny County. McGrath said that although the downtown gaming hall has not attracted a lot of tourists as some had hoped, that could change because the casino table games will make it a more attractive destination.
2010-02-21
Sophie White
