Casino earnings in Ariz. fall 15%

Casino earnings in Ariz. fall 15%


Under the terms of a deal approved by voters, the tribes have exclusive right to operate casinos in the state.

In exchange, they agreed to provide a share of revenues to the state, on a sliding scale from 1 to 8 percent of gross revenues.


"We're loosening up a lot of our machines in order to give our players more value," said Wendell Long, chief executive of the casinos.

"We're also being more value-oriented on our food and beverage, offering a lot of specials, sort of like all-you-can-eat pasta, prime-rib specials, just so their dollars go farther."

It's also offering free entertainment Thursdays through Saturdays.

....Morago said, although marketing is important, casinos have to be careful with their plans.

The Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut sought to bring back their regulars by offering to trade their points on affinity cards for actual cash. The theory, Morago said, was that these people then would take their dollars and put them into the gambling machines, which didn't happen.

"People got their money, and they went home," she said.