The Division of Gaming Enforcement today released casino revenue numbers for July, which found a 3.6 percent decrease in the total casino wins from last July. Levenson Institute Executive Director Israel Posner told NJ Today Senior Correspondent Desirée Taylor that although there is a slight decrease in revenues, there are some bright spots, including the performance of Revel and Borgata.
Posner said Borgata represents about 50 percent of the total poker play in Atlantic City and it had a “monster month at the tables.” He said that casino only has about 17 or 18 percent of the total casino gaming market, but is huge with poker, calling it “the shining star.” He added that Borgata has been very consistent over the 10 years it opened.
Revel has changed its marketing strategy to try to increase revenue, but Posner said the organization did more than that. “What’s interesting about it is that it’s not just a marketing or promotional campaign. Revel was reintroduced to the casino market. And they really have a brand new product. Revel is now Revel Casino. They’ve really changed the way the market perceives them,” he said.
The “You Can’t Lose” promotion Revel implemented was focused on slot play, but Posner said it also increased table game play by about one-third. “What’s really quite interesting about that whole story is that that was not done at the expense of the other casinos in town. They literally grew the market. While they increased 30 percent, the decline in the other properties was not much at all. As I said, it was 3 or 4 percent. So the campaign was huge,” he said. “And we’ll see how that plays out in the coming months and even years.”
Posner said other casinos can learn from Revel’s successful campaign. “I think what it shows is the importance of giving the customer a product that they really value. If you think about what they have said, is that they’re saying that they really want you. If you look at the campaign, it’s ‘Gamblers Wanted.’ They really introduced themselves to the market in a totally new way,” he said.
The introduction of internet gaming will be huge, according to Posner. “The only state in the United States so far that has introduced internet play is the state of Nevada and there it’s poker only. New Jersey stands on the threshold on an entirely new industry,” he said.
Posner explained that within six months, New Jersey will introduce internet play, which will be full scale casino gaming. “You’re seeing a tremendous amount of interest where every single property in the city is engaged with other internet players from around the world. And you’re going to see a lot more interest. I think the internet play is going to be very big. And I think it’ll be bigger than most people realize,” he said.