Three casinos marked significant milestones last month that, when taken together, could signal better times ahead for the casino industry as a whole. While the three developments are unrelated, their optimism and scope bring hope for the future.

In Downtown Las Vegas, the Plaza Hotel, which closed its doors last fall for a $35 million renovation, reopened last month with new guest rooms, new suites, new bars and restaurants, and plenty of fanfare.

The 40-year-old property hopes to appeal to a younger, tech-savvy clientele. But it has something for the old guard, too—specifically Oscar’s, the so-called speakeasy named for former Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman.

Many of the upgrades, including furniture and fixtures, came at bargain-basement prices from the nearby Fontainebleau project, a $2.9 billion, 3,900-room project which never opened. The Plaza got them for a song at about $2 million.

Something else will soon be new at the Plaza: a race and sports book to be run by Cantor Gaming.  The exclusive long-term agreement between Cantor and the Plaza, which will begin in early 2012, will bring Cantor Gaming’s mobile gaming, In-Running technology and wagering options to the Plaza’s sports betting customers. The Cantor operation will replace one run by Lucky’s, operated by rival Brandywine Gaming.

“We are excited to offer a fully refurbished race and sports book next year,” said Tony Santo, president and CEO of Santo Gaming, manager of the Plaza.

The Plaza also has entered into an exclusive multi-year partnership agreement with Expedia, Inc., the world’s largest online travel company. 

Vegasinc reported that room rates for the reopening started at $44 and will top out at $119 for some weekends in September.

The resort opened as the Union Plaza in 1971. It closed in November 2010, leaving 400 employees out of work.

In Michigan, the Four Winds Hartford Casino recently opened a 52,000-square-foot casino that offers 500 slot machines and nine table games, including blackjack, roulette and Mississippi Stud poker, as well as a 100-seat Timbers restaurant, a 15-seat bar and a gift shop featuring tribal items.

Matt Wesaw, chairman of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, owners and operators of the casino, said, “What really is important in my mind is that we gained the confidence, the experience and ability that gave us the courage to exercise our sovereignty and open Four Winds Hartford. The opening of Four Winds Hartford allows us to continue our efforts to continue to build the quality of life for our citizens.”

He noted the casino created 400 permanent jobs in addition to hundreds of construction jobs. “We look forward to welcoming area residents to our new facility,” Wesaw said.

The Hartford property is the smallest of the four Four Winds casinos located in southwest Michigan, and the first satellite casino to open in the state. The casino’s 400 empolyees include 100 tribal members. 

And finally, the Seminole Tribe of Florida last month announced a $75 million expansion at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Tampa. The expansion will add 30,000 square feet to the casino floor, bringing it to 220,000 square feet, making room for 750 new slot machines, for a total of 5,000, and 12 new table games, for a total of 105. The project, expected to be completed in April 2012, also includes a five-story parking garage. More than 500 construction jobs will be generated and 430 permanent positions will be created in addition to the current payroll of 3,000.

When the expansion is completed, the casino will be one of the largest in the country. Only Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun, two Native American casinos in Connecticut, are larger.

The tribe still hopes to move forward with its plan to build a 22-story, 1,000-room hotel, new meeting space and a 2,000-seat music hall.

By GGB Staff

Staff writers for Global Gaming Business magazine. Las Vegas, Nevada.