A harbinger?

Surley the executives at the new Sands casino in Bethlehem, Pa., were hoping that the novelty of the casino would have lasted a bit longer than a month-and-a-half:

"After opening to packed houses, the Sands Bethlehem Casino has seen business drop quickly, as the casino has fallen to fourth in revenue among the state’s eight operating casinos. Las Vegas Sands officials say the decline is normal and expected, as the newness wears off. According to figures released by the Pennsylvania State Gaming Control Board, slot income at the Bethlehem gambling venue show a 30 percent decline since opening week. A decline is normal, say gaming analysts, but the drop for Sands is occurring extremely early in the operation’s existence. The casino only opened its doors in May."

These numbers have gotta be making the folks at The Rivers casino a wee bit nervous. Pennsylvania had been the one industry anomally -- casino revenues were crashing in Vegas, Atlantic City and just about everywhere else because of the recession, but we had been somewhat insulated from the effects of the recession because the casinos here are all shiny and new. Maybe that insulation is wearing thin?

... Harbinger: c.1471, herbengar "one sent ahead to arrange lodgings" (for a monarch, an army, etc.), alt. of M.E. herberger "provider of shelter, innkeeper" (c.1175), from O.Fr. herbergeor, from herbergier "provide lodging," from herber "lodging, shelter," from Frank. *heriberga "lodging, inn" (cf. O.S., O.H.G. heriberga "army shelter," from heri "army" + berga "shelter"). 

The "berga" that makes up the second half of the word is similar, but seemingly unrelated, to the sense of shelter that we find at the end of Pittsburgh --  that burgh is a "castle, manor house, fortified place" (related to beorg "hill"), from P.Gmc. *burgs "fortress" (cf. O.N. borg "wall, castle," Ger. Burg "castle," Goth. baurgs "city"), from PIE *bhrgh "high," with derivatives referring to hills, hill forts, fortified elevations.

OK, enough of that book learnin'.

From the pages of the P-G

Two items for the price of one. A story from Mark Belko:

"State Gaming Control Board members may be forced to intervene to resolve a dispute between the Rivers Casino and a local authority over when the North Shore slots venue is to start paying its share of funding for the new arena. The city-Allegheny County Sports & Exhibition Authority wants the casino to begin making the payments -- $7.5 million a year for 30 years -- starting Sept. 15, little more than a month after the gambling venue's grand opening Aug. 9. But that's not what the casino's ownership group was told last year, when it was in discussions to rescue the project from near bankruptcy after Detroit businessman Don Barden failed to secure permanent financing."

... and an editorial, about casino execs and their ability to make campaign contributions:

"Our objection regards the marquee provision -- a ban on contributions by gambling industry officials to political candidates. While casino proponents have given plenty, excessive contributions go to politicians from individuals or political action committees representing a host of special interests -- trial lawyers, labor unions, business groups and advocates for social causes. The Legislature should impose strict caps, as the federal government does, on all political contributions -- not just those from a targeted industry. If lawmakers are subject to influence by big checks from pro-gambling forces, then what about all that dough from polluters, doctors and the insurance industry?"

... bonus story, in case you missed it the first time around -- the company that operates the racetrack side of The Meadows Racetrack & Casino in Washington County (called MEC Pennsylvania Racing Services) has filed for bankruptcy.

Speaking of The Meadows ...

... when it opened a few months ago, a few elements were unfinished, including its bowling alley -- the bowling alley is now scheduled to open next Tuesday, July 14.

Notes from the A.C.

The Donald is getting aggressive in trying to remind Pennsylvania gamblers of all Atlantic City has to offer:

"Some new casino billboards have been popping up in the Lehigh Valley, home turf of the $743 million Sands Casino Resort, Pennsylvania's newest and most expensive slots parlor. But instead of beckoning customers to the Sands, the billboards invite gamblers to the Trump casinos in Atlantic City, about 120 miles away," reports The Press of Atlantic City. "They feature a side-by-side comparison of the amenities the resort-style casinos in Atlantic City have and the more modest slot parlors in Pennsylvania do not. The billboards are part of a marketing effort by casinos to entice Pennsylvania gamblers to Atlantic City this summer, the peak time for tourism."

Odds and ends

The founder and chairman of Isle Of Capri Casinos (which had wanted to build a casino in Uptown / Lower Hill) has died ... Sands may be down from its opening week, but its July 4 revenues were up ... Philadelphia's casino plans are moving along slowly ... Two Connecticut rivals (Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun) are teaming up to take on Atlantic City ...An Ohio study suggests that the legalization of gambling in Ohio could add 34,000 jobs to the economy ... Moscow has imposed a gambling ban in parts of Russia.

Last item:

"The woman in charge of promotions at the casino at Yonkers Raceway was indicted Tuesday on charges she arranged for friends and relatives to win contests. Donna Cronin, 44, and two co-defendants at Empire City Casino helped their acquaintances win money, flat-screen televisions, laptop computers and Broadway tickets, Westchester District Attorney Janet DiFiore said. Sometimes they demanded kickbacks, she said."

That just so happens to be the New York casino owned by the Rooney family.