PINNACLE ENTERTAINMENT TRYING TO GET A VEGAS STYLE MARETING LEG UP

Implications: The point of a first ever implosion of an older property to make room for new construction makes good sense. It's fast, clean and offers the public a new kind of demolition to witness. Will it help business to any significant measure - probably not. It certainly might aid other properties a bit giving them a short in the arm for a day or two. Other than that????

Analysis: Making comparisons between Las Vegas and Atlantic City other than an implosions and that they both have gaming is beyond my comprehension. It's always good for the morale of AC properties to think they are having the same effect on their players. It as about as far fetched notion that can be made. When gaming was first introduced to AC the city had an obligation to make that run down and ugly town into something special. Either no one had the foresight to take down all the empty and abandoned buildings and put up good housing with private residence and condos. It was a way to support their only legitimate industry. Instead they just let thing be status quo - it was OK with AC to let surrounding areas take the bull by the horns and do the building. Unless you travel up Atlantic Avenue to mid Ventnor, Margate and Longport where was the really nice places to live in the greater AC area. They missed the opportunity to enhance the future casinos data bases. Las Vegas, on the other hand,  has more local casinos then AC has total casinos and a population pushing 1,300,000. Any questions...

Please don't think this is a knock on AC casinos - it is not, They are what they are. The problem that I see is if Pennsylvania goes full blown casinos in the near future it could deeply affect the bottom line of AC properties. It will certainly cut down on the day trippers that are very much needed and depended upon. It might be a harder road to hoe for these properties and they need to get off the mark now to try and hold onto their customers. Remember that Pennsylvania is not the only state nearby that could influence the cost of doing business in AC. They are now facing some fury about smoking in the casinos. It is a fact that must be dealt with now. The best thing that they have going for them at this moment is that they are the only game in town and the smokers will find a way to survive and gamble at the same time. The properties will see that there are accommodations made in the smokers behalf as long as it does not conflict with the law.

In the long and short of it all - Ac is not nearly ready to throw in the towel - they have plenty of smarts and will no doubt find a way...