Local casinos wiped out the statewide competition, according to a readers’ choice poll in the July issue of Casino Player magazine, a 15-year-old magazine with a readership of about 750,000.
Ameristar and Harrah’s took first and second place in every category in the Best of Gaming 2006 poll, with the exceptions of best bar, where Vertigo at Harrah’s was the only bar listed; the best comedy club which went to Penguins Comedy Club at Isle of Capris in Bettendorf, which was the only comedy club listed; and Best Room Packages, which also went to the Isle of Capri in Bettendorf over Harrah’s and Ameristar.
The survey took place prior to the opening of Horseshoe Casino in Council Bluffs, the nation’s 19th largest casino market.
Adam Fine, editor in chief of Casino Player, said he’s curious to see what impact the Horseshoe will have on the local market.
“It’s a fantastic property for the Midwest,” he said.
Fine also said he wants to see how Harrah’s goes about fitting into the expanded Council Bluffs market and what moves Ameristar may make in response to the Horseshoe.
Ameristar Casino Hotel won Best Overall Casino and Best Overall Hotel accolades and 28 overall awards including 15 first-place awards in the market. Slots, craps and video poker took the top awards, with Prairie Mill Café winning Best Coffee Shop and Ameristar taking the top spot in the Best Overall Entertainment category.
Ameristar General Manager Teresa Meyer said the company’s investment in the facility, training and recognition of team members is paying off.
“It’s just wonderful,” she said.
Meyer said she was most proud of winning in the category of Best Casino Hotel.
“And I like the one, Luckiest Casino, because luck is a perception,” she said. “It’s kind of a happiness, feel-good kind of thing. I think that’s really a compliment to us.”
Harrah’s won 13 first-place awards, including Best Overall Hotel Casino and Best Casino Promotions, and 29 awards overall. Reel slots, blackjack and players club were other areas where Harrah’s took the top prize.
Christie Scott, manager of public and community relations for Harrah’s and Horseshoe Casinos, said the company was pleased with the number of first-place honors Harrah’s Council Bluffs received.
“The variety of awards shows that our customers really have fun playing at Harrah’s and that they receive a real value in our Total Rewards program,” Scott said. “Our guests know that they can play with us and earn comps that can be redeemed at any of our Harrah’s Entertainment properties around the country, including our new Horseshoe Casino as well as all of our casinos on the las vegas strip.”
Casino Player’s Fine said Iowa took some risks in starting out as the first casino riverboat state, and that has limited the industry’s growth.
“It’s very frustrating to see that from an industry standpoint,” he said. “The market is there. The problem is the casino facilities themselves.”
The biggest problem, as he sees it, is an absence of hotels.
“If you have the rooms, you have the people downstairs,” Fine said. “And that Horseshoe can handle a great hotel.”
By PHIL ROONEY
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