Recent renovations at Treasure Bay Casino in Grand Bahama are showing some initial returns on investment, but it still is too early to measure the overall impact, said Craig Turner, general manager. Turner is the first Bahamian to hold that position at a casino in the country. He replaced Eddie Llambias, the first appointed general manager of the property.

Treasure Bay took over the casino’s operations in March 2010 from Isle of Capri. Since then, the company overhauled its slot operations with new machines and software.

“We are at the point now where we are totally coinless, and we only issue tickets from the slot machines,” Turner said. In addition, the casino installed new table games “and the ever-famous wheel of fortune,” Turner said. “We resurrected that wheel in July of last year.”

The company also opened The Cove restaurant, which is popular among locals. “The Cove has done a lot in the last year for the local public where we just tried to give the public something else to do or somewhere else to go in the comfort of the casino and to be safe at the same time,” Turner said.

Last September, the casino’s marketing department invited potential customers to Treasure Bay, offering incentives including free instant slot credits and free room nights at the Our Lucaya Resort. The program cost $28,000.

Turner said the company will continue to invest in upgrades at the local facility, and ultimately hopes to revive the Bahamas’ image as a premier gambling destination.

“We’ve spent a lot of money trying to upgrade the system and make our Grand Bahama casino a stand-alone product, giving some incentives for customers to come and gamble with the same comforts of being at home,” Turner said. He

By GGB Staff

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