Philly Casino Applicants Approach the Finish Line.

The last set of hearings of the 5 Philadelphia applicants for the 2nd casino license is this week. It will be held at the Philadelphia Convention Center. Each of them will give assessments

of what they can bring to Philadelphia.
The jobs, additional taxes, special services to the neighborhood and groups surrounding them and the prospect of expanding the market. They will also bring various projections of revenue.

I have followed this process since the Foxwoods Project was denied an extension on their proposal to build a casino here. I have also worked in 3 markets than have opened urban gaming. Major cities that have open casinos with staggering results.  Each of the organizations, that I am proud to have on my resume, lived up to the plans and forecasts they presented.

This group is faced with some challenges. Things that were not factors with at the opening of the casinos in two of my prior places of employment.

First is the economy. This is still a rough time for a lot of people. Many are barely making ends meet. Unemployment is still high with the prospect of benefits being reduced. Business are downsizing and it some cases, consolidating. More mergers and layoffs. Is this the most ideal time to open a venue that is dependent on disposable income?

Second is the fact that whoever gets the bid is SECOND. The truth is that whoever enters the market will have to face the comparison to the present operators in the region and cannibalize the revenue to some level. The amount of people of legal gaming age will not expand
simply because another place opens it's doors.
Marketing ,quality leadership and a sound business model will be keys to expanding the gaming populous.

Third and finally is location. I am familiar with each proposal. If you are not, I would suggest you go to planphilly.com or philly.com for articles by Kellie Patrick Gates,Suzette Parmley or Harold Brubaker. I will refrain from giving my opinion on which site has the best location. I will ask you to imagine any business that rely largely on people coming by cars opening in any area where parking is a premium. Each place that I worked was near an interstate or highway, close to a water or part of a existing development that was accented by their presence.

I wish each applicant well with their presentations. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board will make a prudent decision.

                                                   AND THE WINNER IS?

Follow me on Twitter @GamingGuyM.   https://www.facebook.com/gaming.guym and Instagram at
http://instagram.com/gamingguym  Choose 1 or all 3.

 

 

 

NCAA Men's Basketball

I just started with my 2014 NCAA Men's Basketball page. This will appear on my website, thegamingguym.com. I will update it weekly to include the top 25 teams by rank. The highlight play of the week will also be featured.

 

I will also do a #GTLivechat on Twitter of the game of the week. It will be the top match up on every Saturday. For my followers on Twitter, that are familiar with a region or conference, I encourage you to tweet me about the best team and /or players. I will share your comment and give you mine. Follow me and @KeshisCuties as we give our selections and picks heading into March Madness.

 

I will be in Las Vegas for the start of the tournament. Every game will be on in the Race and Sports Books. I will give you updates directly from the casino.
Follow me on Twitter @GamingGuyM.   https://www.facebook.com/gaming.guym and Instagram at
http://instagram.com/gamingguym  Choose 1 or all 3.

PHL Casino Revolution Interview with A. Bruce Crawley

I was honored to meet with PHL Casino Revolution Marketing Point man A. Bruce Crawley.
 

A. Bruce Crawley is president and principal owner of Millennium 3 Management, Inc. (M3M). Prior to establishing M3M in 2006, Crawley served as president of Crawley Haskins Sloan (CHR) PR & Advertising, which he founded in 1989. Before he established CHR, Crawley was employed at First Pennsylvania Bank, where he was senior vice president and director of public and investor relations. 

 

Active for years in the Philadelphia hospitality industry, Crawley is a member of the executive committee of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau (PCVB), and served for five years as chairman of the organization’s board. He was also a co-founder of the Convention Bureau's Multicultural Affairs Congress and a founding member of the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation. In 1993, Crawley founded Philadelphia's African-American Chamber of Commerce and served as that organization's chairman for 13 years.

 

Crawley has been a part of the PHL team since 2012. PHL is actively seeking the 2nd casino license in Philadelphia. If successful in its bid, PHL will open "Casino Revolution," a $428 million, 250 room hotel and gaming facility. The casino will offer 2400 slots and 105 table games, a steak house an Italian restaurant and a covered, 1600 - car garage. We met recently for series of questions about the pursuit of that endeavor.

1). What is your role with PHL?  Crawley - "We (Millennium 3 Management) are involve with the advertisement, public relations and social media strategies for PHL. My role is communication consultant."

2). Much has been made of the various sites proposed by the applicants. What is the strengths of your location?  Crawley - "We have good traffic flow. This eliminates the need to go thru the neighborhood. We want a lack of intrusiveness. Our location is almost .8 of a mile from the Whitman community. PHL is ideally situated for convenient access to I-76 and I - 95."

3). What type of reception has PHL received from the community?  Crawley - "The Whitman Council has endorsed the project. They want the jobs and contracts that PHL will bring to the area. In addition, we have done tree plantings at 2nd and Jackson and given financial assistance to the Southeast Youth Athletic Association."

4). A top casino executive from New Jersey describe the casinos in Pennsylvania as the "Walmarts of the gaming industry." Offering gaming and little else. What will PHL do to dispel this notion?
Crawley - "My response to that executive is that "Walmart must be the preference of the gaming public. LOL. Pennsylvania is the 2nd largest gaming region in the country.  PHL is committed not only to having a world class hotel but will also develop an entertainment facility. This will be the LoSo Entertainment Center. It will include food and beverage and retail businesses. This project is independent of the casino and will cater to family activities."

5). It was mention at the end of 2013 that PHL could be open before any of its competitors. Can you elaborate?  Crawley - "We have over 84,000 square feet to work with. Within 9 months of getting construction permits, PHL would have 6 months of lead time. The end result would be 600 jobs, millions in taxes and wages along with the completion of the project in one phase."

6). The PGCB hearing next week will be the last opportunity to present your proposal to the board and the public. What two points would you stress that makes your bid the winning one? 
Crawley - "PHL has the advantage of local ownership and economic impact here. We will have access to an ideal location. Other bidders in this process sought to buy our location prior to PHL submitting a proposal. Our plan also includes strong emphasis on diversity. This include ownership ,construction and local vendor participation."

7). What is your opinion of the current gaming climate in this region?  Philly and Atlantic City.
Crawley - "Gaming is now a business of convenience. Atlantic City's problem is a fundamental lack of population. They are largely dependent on traffic from other jurisdictions. Philadelphia has tremendous upside because of the population density and that is a sign of encouragement for everyone."

8). You have had an impressive career in Philadelphia. What achievement are you most proud of?
Crawley - "I am most proud of my son, Christopher Bruce Crawley. He is in Atlanta and doing well with his family and business ventures."

I want to thank Mr. Crawley for his time and insight. Follow PHL on Facebook at      https://www.facebook.com/PHLLocalGaming.

This is a great way to start my 2014 interview series.  Follow me for more on Twitter at @GamingGuyM, Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/gaming.guym and Instagram at http://instagram.com/gamingguym

 

NBA at the Half

As we approach the end of the 1st half of the NBA season, I want to take a quick review of what
has taken place so far.

Derrick Rose and Kobe Bryant have had unsuccessful returns to the hardwood. Rose had season ending knee surgery and Kobe is out for 6 weeks after fracturing his knee. The Bulls and the Lakers will be hard press to make run for the title without them.

The Brooklyn Nets and the New York Knicks are the two disappointing teams early on. With the injury to Brook Lopez, the Nets will not challenge the Heat as expected. Mike Woodson will have a hard time keeping his job if things don't turn around. New York is not the sports city with the most  patience.

The Indiana Pacers are the best team in the NBA. They play good defense and have a superstar in Paul George. The conference finals will feature the Pacers and the Heat.

The West is so wide open with no separation between the top teams. San Antonio, Clippers, OKC and Portland are all playing extremely well.
Houston and Golden State will make a run as they start to gel moving toward the All Star break. I don't expect Phoenix to continue at their current pace. Jeff Hornacek is a better coach than I thought he would be.

MVP Leaders after 40 games.  Paul George, Lebron James, Kevin Durant and  LaMarcus Aldridge
Rookie of the Year after 35 games.  Micheal Carter - Williams
Most Improved Player after 25 games.  John Wall and Evan Turner
Player that could help a contender. Andre Miller
Player that will fool anyone willing to sign him. Andrew Bynum


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Happy New Year and 2013 reflections.

I want to wish everyone a healthy and Happy New Year! 2013 was extremely good for me. Almost
hate to see it end. But it's time to move into the next chapter and take this to another level.
So allow me to reflect on the accomplishments of 2013 for a moment.
I was able to start my aspiring person of the week series. I featured someone that was working a fulltime job while pursuing their dreams. I met some very talented people that you will hear more about in 2014.

I also interviewed several top gaming and casino executives. This brought insight from the minds of  the people that shape gaming entertainment. It also gave a glimpse of the internet gambling package that is currently offered in +Nevada, +Delaware and New Jersey. I gave guest writers opportunities to share their thoughts and views. This included concerts and vacations. I also had several articles that were written in Spanish. I was able to expand my audience because of this.
  
So 2014. What do I do for an encore? I will go further with my online gaming endeavors.
I plan to offer a new innovative feature this spring that you will love. Stay tuned.
I will focus on the +Philly casino bid for the 2nd license. I will continue my interviews but they will now appear two times a month. I will extend my reach into Instagram. Once a week, I will post new pictures. I will add another page to the website. +NCAA Basketball will start in January. This will continue into March Madness and conclude with the NCAA Finals. The GTLivechat will be a large part of the basketball expansion.

So that just a peak into where I'm going. Jump on the train now because it going to get interesting.
                                                                 All Aboard!


          Follow me on Twitter at @GamingGuyM and at my website, http://thegamingguym.com/
                                        Also on http://instagram.com/gamingguym