The hard part isn’t getting them here. Heck, it’s amazing what you can do with a few hundred million dollars.
No, for those making money from Erie’s tourist industry, the hard part isn’t getting people to the new 2000 slot machines of Presque Isle Downs.
The hard part is prying them out.
It’s no exaggeration to say that casinos are expert at keeping people on the floor once they get there. From no clocks and windows to subtle changes in air temperature to free drinks (only NA drinks are allowed to be free in PA), casino operators work on the premise that the best way to make money is to find ways to keep people in the seats pushing the machine buttons.
That would seem to put them at odds with those people whose job it is to promote all that Erie County has to offer.
So far, everyone is playing nice.
The PI Downs folks have offered to go with Visitor and Convention Bureau staff to Harrisburg for an upcoming trade show with convention bookers.
The Downs has also agreed to carry the VCB booklet inside the casino, the one that features other local tourist spots.
That information will also be sent to area bus tour operators, in the hopes that gamblers can have an idea of everything Erie County offers before going inside the casino.
Still, a dollar spent is a dollar spent, and the Downs operation is set up with the intention of making sure as many dollars as possible are spent on site.
That said, the relationship doesn’t have to be antagonistic.
The local tourist industry is thrilled with a Downs publicity campaign that is getting the word “Erie” into places like Pittsburgh and Cleveland. The television satellite trucks at the Downs Wednesday were clear enough indication that those neighboring big brothers have Erie on the radar.
The Downs is not only a major attraction for conventions, it is also proof that bookers can no longer exclude Erie from consideration because it doesn’t have slots.
Many people will get off the interstate, play at the Downs, get back on the interstate and go home.
But some will stop and look around, and some of those might even like what they see and come back.
In gambling there are wins and losses. In tourism, there are some situations that are win-win.
What are the odds, that this is one of them?
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