STATESIDE
Desperate times for action are now motivating somewhat desperate measures. I have never advocated using kids for campaigns - what do they know about taxes or politics? This year is different. Kids feel impacted as much as anyone else. Last month in Atlantic City, the Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects (CEASE) launched the “Kids of CEASE” campaign. It spotlights casino workers’ children who describe their fears about their parent’s health and safety.
Added to this new approach are potential problems with gaming workforce unions. On September 4, the United Auto Workers’ (UAW) Atlantic City chapter, which represents local table-game dealers, threatened to withdraw from the state’s largest unions that supports indoor smoking. This is serious maneuvering. So, ignoring all this intrigue, what do the “real” people say? I recently met a dealer from the Borgata. I asked “Jane” (an alias to avoid any possible employee problems) for her opinion about smoking, especially post-Covid, when plexiglass appeared everywhere. “Jane” claimed she was often sick from the face-to-face interaction with smoke blowing at her. She also blamed MGM - now sole owner of Borgata - for what she considered the property’s deteriorating conditions. “Jane” believes the corporate “culture” clearly changed once MGM bought Boyd Gaming’s 50 percent share in 2016 for $900 million. If true, this is troubling. I attended the July 2003 star-studded media pre-opening ceremonies. The elegant property took our collective breath away. For 15-plus years, the Borgata was the “jewel” among the nine Atlantic City casino resorts. It set the highest standards and consistently earned top earnings. No more. It still enjoys an upper-tier position, but the Hard Rock and Ocean on Atlantic City’s Boardwalk have given the Borgata a run for its money and proven to be formidable competitors.
Borgata may have more problems. The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (NJDGE) has accused Borgata of twice
underpaying its internet gambling taxes by $1.1 million. Borgata allegedly used a loophole to claim excessive credits totaling $15 million. Regulators worry this may be the “tip of the iceberg” and are investigating further. The NJDGE ordered Borgata to pay $1.3 million in back taxes, penalties and interest. In response to the regulatory action, the casino promptly settled the outstanding balance, which included a $75,000 civil penalty. Don’t misunderstand… the Borgata still makes tons of money; July 2024 online revenues, from all eligible casinos, were the second-highest month in New Jersey’s history. Getting back to smoking, life in America isn’t like old Hollywood where the smoke permeated everything. Those in power need to get it together to fix this. This election year just may be the right time. We shall see. If you are making the annual pilgrimage to Las Vegas for G2E, safe travels, have a great show and learn something new to make the industry even more successful.
Sharon Harris
Sharon has worked in the casino and coin- operated amusement industries since the 1980s. In the early 1990s, Sharon transferred her public relations and journalism skills to the gaming industry. She wrote her first feature for Casino International predecessor EUROSLOT magazine in 1994.
As Associate Editor, North America for Casino International, Sharon has chronicled the explosive growth of U.S. gaming and reported on its most significant changes. She has traveled across America to participate in dozens of industry events and has interviewed
hundreds of gaming operators,
executives and suppliers.
BMM qp strip CI
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