In the News: Holiday Inn Casino & Resort for the RV Set?
by Bodog Casino | Aug 19 2010
If there's one thing that the online gambling industry has done for the bricks & mortar (or offline) casinos - it would be that it has helped to push or inspire innovation.
Offline casino owners know online gaming is booming across the globe, and because of that they've been pushing innovation in their business like never before in order to keep up.
An example of this is a gaming group in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania that is bringing a casino to the area in a completely new, never-before-seen way.
Not only do they plan on making a $75 million casino, but they plan on making one specifically for RV owners.
Penn Harris Gaming believes its casino would grab a lot of popularity from what they call the "undeserved population": people who are often older or retired, but who travel around the country in their large recreational vehicles looking for interesting places to visit.
Penn Harris is hoping one of those interesting places will be their casino.
"We are not shooting for the high-roller market," said Atlantic City gaming lawyer John Donnelly, one of the investors. "We are going for a middle-class market," one that has considerable "discretionary income." That's lawyer talk for "money to burn."
The group plans on converting the motel into a 40,000-square-foot casino with 600 slots and 50 table games, plus restaurant/bar, spa, fitness center and "RV World," a six-acre parking area along Interstate 81.
The funny thing about innovating is when you do it, it doesn't take long for someone to copy you. And it looks like Sin City has caught wind of the casino RV idea. Some Las Vegas casinos, such as Circus Circus and Samstown, are targeting the RV market now, Donnelly said.
Unfortunately, the RV idea is barely off the ground in Pennsylvania. The project still needs local permits and a license from the state's Gaming Control Board, and they are competing with other casino owners and investment groups for the license.
But with a great idea like this something tells us we'll be doing our gaming drive through in Harrisburg sooner rather than later.
