Six weeks in, Virginia's first casino has exceeded expectations
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Bristol Casino in Virginia has been open six weeks and has attracted guests from 49 states. The casino generated $11.71 million in adjusted gross revenues from gaming during its first partial month of operation. It also generated over $703,000 in taxes. Hard Rock Bristol is the casino's future home. The company doesn't comment directly on financial information. Its nearest competitor is in a different state, 2.5 hours away. The results were better than anticipated. They were conservative. and based on the unknown. When they open casinos in other areas, they will compare them with other casinos.
Bristol Casino opened six weeks ago. Hard Rock has a new customer loyalty program. So far, 33,000 people have signed up for it in Bristol. The program tracks where they came from and learns more about them. Tennessee and Virginia have the most loyalty members, followed by North Carolina, Georgia and Florida. Sullivan County has the largest number of loyalty guests, 21%. About 1,300 from Knoxville area are now loyalty member.
4,500 loyalty program patrons came from 100 miles or more. Sullivan County has the largest number of loyalty guests, 21%. About 1,300 from Knoxville area are now loyalty members.
The public response to the temporary casino has been very positive. The Hard Rock Hotel construction hasn't begun yet. Hotel occupancy is growing for the main places where the casino stays. There are some problems with hotel rooms available for guests. The casino is working with area hotels to accommodate some of its guests for September events.
Evangelista's casino is a smoking facility. The new HVAC units use outdoor air. It's a cleaner air than the old units. There is also a non-smoking gaming area and a new entrance. The smoke is lighter and less noticeable during weekdays and lower traffic times. on Friday and Saturday nights. in some areas the air flow was too strong. and had to be modified. to prevent blowing money around. If guests access the property from the restaurant entrance and go to the sports book, there is an entrance to a hallway that takes them into the non smoking area.
The casino is trying to improve the quality of its table games. It is not enough. The casino has 21 table game tables. It takes 30 to 90 days to make a small change and 90 to 120 days before a big change. Some customers are learning how to play some of the games for the first time. They are also getting their first taste of certain games at the casino. There are some changes to the layout that take place over time and are not overnight. A change in layout takes approval from the lottery. This is why the composition of casino's gaming floor is under constant review. For example, the performance of games is evaluated.
Bristol Casino has about 600 employees. The turnover rate is below industry averages for new casinos. Some positions are still vacant and several team members are awaiting lottery licensing. The casino is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Every employee has to undergo a background check and be licensed. A lot of people who didn't get licensed were terminated. It's hard, but not something the casino can control. Virginia Lottery issues three levels of licenses for those who manage and work at casinos: key manager license, general license and non-gaming license. Gaming licenses apply to any employee that works on the gaming floor, operates or repairs gaming equipment, provides security, counts money, or operates information systems.
Mr. Lucky's restaurant and Brick’d and Bristol Bar are popular with players. The food is made in house and the bar is attracting guests that may not venture into the casino. They recently started hosting live music with local bands. They also promote their restaurants. Some players who frequent Hard Rock locations around the country visited here and were complimentary of dining facilities.
The exterior of the former Bristol Mall looks much like it has and that won't change much. The most obvious visual change will be construction of a hotel tower. Evangelista is finalizing some of plans but everything is on track and they are still aiming for May 2024.
