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.