Slot Machines

Despite the much-anticipated addition of the Revel mega-casino, Atlantic City saw a heavy decline in gambling revenue last month, prompting some operators to question openly whether the $2.4 billion newcomer would provide the economic lift the resort had hoped for. The city's total gambling revenue was $263 million in May, down 9.5 percent compared with a year ago. Excluding Revel, revenue declined 14.3 percent. "Revel's results came in weaker than expected," said gambling analyst John Kempf of Wells Fargo Securities L.L.C.

Five-cent slot machines in this casino city could become as rare as buffalo nickels. By the end of January, the Casino Control Commission is expected to vote on a proposal that would lift a requirement that the city's gaming halls set aside five percent of their slot-machine space to nickel slots. Even before discussion of the change, the casino industry had gradually reduced the percentage of nickel slots on the gaming floors because they were not as profitable as other slot machines.

Legislation that would allow up to 3,000 slot machines at each of Pennsylvania's two thoroughbred and two standardbred tracks has been introduced by State Sen. Robert "Tommy" Tomlinson (R., Bucks). Proponents believe the slots would produce $375 million in annual revenues targeted to increasing purses at the tracks and helping support public education and other programs in the state. A similar measure, attached to existing legislation, was voted down by the state Senate, 27-23, in November.

My pulse quickened and my heart beat faster as I sat down in front of a row of vintage one-arm bandits. I am not a gambler and yet I spent more than an hour last week playing with a dozen slot machines. The operative word here is "with. " I was not playing the slots, I was playing with the slots, and when I was done, I felt more like a kid in a candy store in Pennsauken than a gambler in Atlantic City. That's because the slot machines were in the Pennsauken, N.J., display showroom of Bob Levy, who owns one of the largest coin-operated machine dealerships in the country.

Anyone who believes that nothing beats hearing old 78s on the machines on which they were meant to be played will enjoy this weekend's third annual Philadelphia Antique Jukebox, Slot-Machine and Advertising Show and Sale. Do you like rhythm-and-blues, country-western, the big bands or rock-and- roll? You'll hear them coming from one or another of the 65 dealers booths at the George Washington Motor Lodge's convention center on Route 611 in Willow Grove. At this show, there will be 50 to 60 jukeboxes, ranging in price from $1,000 to nearly $10,000.

Robert Cogan's May 24 letter ("Take creative approach to casinos in Pa. ") refers to Jeff Hooke's testimony before the state Senate Finance Committee regarding the auctioning of gambling licenses. What Hooke proposed was selling eight licenses over a period of time to the highest bidders to permit them to construct full-blown, Las Vegas-style casinos in the state's major cities. This will never happen because the public doesn't want it and the politicians will never vote for it. Therefore, we will still hear the continuous sucking sound of billions of dollars leaving Pennsylvania to support social programs in Delaware, West Virginia and New Jersey.

It's a real wonder how Pennsylvanians survived back in the 1950s, when they couldn't legally gamble their money on horse racing, lotteries or off-track betting. Must have been pretty boring with all those spare millions jangling around in their pockets. Then in 1959, the state placed one of its first big bets, by legalizing racetracks. Once it bet on that first horse, the legislature, like a compulsive gambler, found itself seduced by other long-odds ventures. Now the legislature is being suckered by a new gamble - a proposal to allow slot machines at struggling Pennsylvania race courses.

The state's House of Representatives failed yesterday to override Gov. Castle's veto of a bill that would legalize slot machines at Delaware race tracks. The vote on whether to bring the issue to the House floor was 20-20 with one abstention, five votes short of the three-fifths majority needed for approval. Slot machines were hailed as the potential savior of Delaware's financially beleaguered race tracks by those involved in the racing industry and by the effort's chief proponent, Rep. William A. Oberle (R., Scottfield)

About 30 years ago, New Jersey was on the verge of legalizing casino gaming. Mac Seelig, then assistant manager at a hotel chain in Atlantic City, realized someone would have to supply the slot machines. Today, Seelig, 65, is president and chief executive officer of the company he founded in his Absecon home. A.C. Coin & Slot, in Pleasantville, N.J., has become the largest slots manufacturer and diversified casino supply company in the Atlantic City-Philadelphia region and one of the largest privately owned companies of its kind in the world.

Jeff Hurvitz lives and writes in Abington Township I think the bill bringing slot machines to Pennsylvania is a good thing. There is at least the chance that gambling will seed other opportunities for commerce in this state. The bill itself is a gamble, and, despite the odds, the downsides of gambling, and the stakes at hand - which includes the future of Philadelphia - I think it's a chance we should take. The bill, approved July 2, allows for the placement of up to 61,000 slot machines into 14 venues throughout the state.

ATLANTIC CITY - Atlantic City's casinos still aren't playing "Back In Black" over their loudspeakers, but the decline in their revenue slowed significantly in May. The city's casinos won more than $253.1 million last month, down 3.8 percent compared with a year ago. The figure is far less than the double-digit declines the casinos registered in the first four months of this year. It was indisputably the best month of the year for the casinos. January saw a 13.7 percent decline, followed by plunges of 12.5 percent in February, 10.5 percent in March and 12.1 percent in April.

Total revenue generated by slot machines at Pennsylvania casinos during February fell 9.2 percent compared to last year, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board said Monday. February's gross slot revenue at 11 operating casinos was $195.9 million compared to $215.7 million in February 2012. Among the 10 casinos operating this year that were also open for the full month of February 2012, revenue sank 11.5 percent. The board noted that 2012 was a "Leap Year," so players had 3.6 percent more hours to gamble during the 29-day February last year.

Pennsylvania's gambling industry continues to grow, even as casinos proliferate in nearby states. The state Gaming Control Board reported Thursday that gross revenue from slot machines for the 2012 calendar year was nearly $2.5 billion, or 2.7 percent higher than the previous year's $2.41 billion total. Parx led the state's 11 casinos with $384.6 million, up 2.1 percent from 2011. It finished ahead of Sands Casino Resort in Bethlehem ($291.5 million) and Rivers in downtown Pittsburgh ($282.1 million)

Pennsylvania's gambling industry continues to grow, even as new casinos proliferate in nearby states. The state Gaming Control Board reported Thursday that gross revenue from slot machines for the 2012 calendar year was nearly $2.5 billion, or 2.7 percent higher than the previous year's $2.41 billion total. Parx led the state's 11 casinos with $384.6 million, up 2.1 percent from 2011. It finished ahead of Sands Casino Resort in Bethlehem ($291.5 million) and Rivers in downtown Pittsburgh ($282.1 million)

ATLANTIC CITY - Two lines of twentysomethings formed outside the HQ Nightclub at the impressive Revel casino just before midnight on a recent Friday. Among those eager to get in was Bill Cruise, 28, of Brooklyn - his first visit to Atlantic City since Hurricane Sandy. "It's pretty hip," Cruise said of the eight-month-old complex. "This is a step above, for sure. Everything is brand-spanking new. " But while HQ quickly filled up, row after row of slot machines on Revel's nearby 150,000-square-foot gaming floor sat empty.

WE DON'T need another casino, especially by wannabe union buster Bart Blatstein. We need manufacturing jobs that put money in people's pockets, not take it out. City Council needs to grow a backbone and just say no to Bart! Jim Hart Philadelphia A black Autumn? So this beautiful 12-year old girl, who happened to be white, was brutally murdered by two young black kids. As tragic as this crime is, it's just looked at as a crime. I'm curious to know how it would be viewed if it was a black girl killed by two white kids.

IN THE REGION TD Bank, Wells Fargo tops in deposits TD Bank N.A. and Wells Fargo Bank N.A. were neck and neck as the largest banks by local deposits in the eight-county Philadelphia region, according to annual data released by federal regulators Tuesday. As it normally does this time of year, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. issued deposit data for all banks as of June 30. The Inquirer calculated local deposits for a region composed of Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia Counties in Pennsylvania; and Burlington, Camden and Gloucester Counties in New Jersey.

ATLANTIC CITY - Revel was supposed to be a job-generating machine - creating 5,500 full-time jobs with benefits as the biggest, most expensive casino ever built in New Jersey. That job figure was heavily touted by Gov. Christie and Revel's owner until just weeks before the casino's soft opening in April. By June, the $2.4 billion mega-casino had its 14 restaurants, two theaters, 10 swimming pools, a giant spa, a retail mall, and other non-gaming attractions open for business - as well as 1,400 of 1,800 rooms and a 130,000-square-foot gaming floor.

More than a year ago, the owners of the SugarHouse Casino unveiled plans to almost double the gaming space at the Fishtown casino on Delaware Avenue. By now, workers should have been tearing up blacktop to make way for a $142 million expansion with one level of new casino space and restaurants, plus six floors of parking. But the only work they are doing on the 22-acre property this summer is cutting down overgrown trees by the water's edge. The expansion is on hold until a Delaware chancery court rules on a year-old legal dispute among the SugarHouse owners.

ATLANTIC CITY — Baseball fans might see a certain similarity between Revel's first few months of operation and Phillies pitcher Cliff Lee's record: Waiting for that first victory can be painful. Lee didn't get his first win until July 4; the season started April 5. Revel, meanwhile, is still looking to demonstrate that it can be the big draw city and New Jersey officials have hoped for; since its opening in April, the numbers have been disappointing. The $2.4 billion megacasino's early struggles are particularly worrisome because Atlantic City is relying on Revel's pools, spa, retail mall, and celebrity-chef restaurants to lead its transformation into an overnight, nongaming destination like Las Vegas.