Casinos Still Hurting from Terrorist Attack
By Howard Berenbon
It's been almost two months since the horrible terrorist attach here in the United States, and unfortunately, casinos in Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, are still feeling the sting of that act of war. Gamblers are staying away from Windsor, for several reasons. The delays going through the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel or over the Ambassador Bridge to and from Canada, are keeping people away. This has resulted in a 50 percent reduction in revenues for Casino Windsor since the terrorist attacks of September 11 because many of their patrons are from the Detroit area. Now, you would think that Detroit casinos would experience an upturn in attendance because of the downturn in Windsor, but that's not the case. The Detroit casinos have a dropped almost 3 percent in revenues compared to the August numbers.
Windsor is trying to counter their economic slowdown by recently approving $200,000 for to assistance in promoting the city. On a similar note, the Detroit casinos have boosted their local radio and television advertising.
People continue to stay home because they're uncomfortable doing every day things. It's understandable to me. We're all still on edge, and it may stay that way for years. Fortunately, revenues at the Detroit casinos dropped only slightly, and people are still attending for fun and maybe profits. Considering that we're at war, a 3 percent drop in revenue is nothing much to worry over.
On the Las Vegas front, tourism has slowed considerably do to the terrorist attack. This has caused some 15,000 casino and hotel workers to lose their jobs since September 11. However, business is beginning to pick up and Las Vegas hopes to recover soon. On a positive note, security has increased, including the doubling of the chlorine added to the Las Vegas Valley District drinking water, which serves approximately 1.4 million people in the area. So, if you're considering planning one of those bargain trips to Las Vegas, be assured that the authorities are on alert and have taken steps to protect you.
Howard Berenbon
