| Horseshoe Casino: More Than Luck |
| Casinos | |||
| Written by Eric Slack | |||
| Sunday, 01 March 2009 | |||
 This Indiana casino is taking advantage of its brand strength and recent expansion to offer the best gaming and entertainment experience in the region.
“Previously, this market was underserved by gaming, and we felt we could grow the business by investing in the right product,” said Rick Mazer, Indiana regional president and GM.  Rick Mazer, Indiana regional president and GM Prior to the Harrah’s purchase, the Horseshoe underwent an invasive process of converting the property from a nautically themed Empress to reflect its new identity, replacing the teals and blues of its Empress color scheme with the familiar crystal chandeliers and cream, black, and gold colors of the Horseshoe brand. It also upped the stakes, bringing in 100-times odds on table games and raising table limits from a $500 maximum to $5,000. “That gives the customer a better gamble and a slightly better advantage of winning over the long haul,” said Mazer. Let it ride After rebranding, business picked up, and the Horseshoe realized the potential of the Chicagoland market was not being fully realized by the Horseshoe or its competitors. Mazer and Binion saw an opportunity to expand and enhance the casino. Plans were formulated but shelved when Harrah’s purchased the Horseshoe. The delay was only temporary, however, as last August the original Hammond Horseshoe was replaced by a new state-of-the-art boat after a $50 million expansion project. Of the 350,000 square feet the Horseshoe now boasts, the bottom level’s 175,000 square feet is home to all of the gaming space, including more than 3,200 slot machines, 100 table games, and the largest poker room in the Midwest. More importantly, however, was the fact that the project brought an unmatched level of luxury for a casino and entertainment facility in the region. “Given the size of the market, which is the second largest feeder to Las Vegas, it didn’t seem right to not have a world-class casino product here,” Mazer said. “Now we are seeing customers who wouldn’t go to riverboat casinos because they didn’t like the confined environment telling us this is comparable to anything they’ve experienced in Vegas.” Although gambling is allowed only on riverboats in Indiana and the Horseshoe’s gambling spaces are on the water, it is a mere inch from land with hallway entrances connecting the gambling area to bars, restaurants, and parking on the shore. In fact, gambling is but a part of the entertainment experience the Horseshoe now offers. On the second floor is a buffet area and a 90,000-square-foot theater known as The Venue. Designed by Montreal’s Scéno Plus, a company renowned for developing theaters like the Coliseum at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, The Venue can be used for small performances, grand productions, or large poker tournaments. The floor can hold 1,500 seats or 2,400 people with a total capacity of more than 3,300. That is in addition to 3,500 square feet featuring six luxury box suites like those at a sports arena, each with three rows of seats, a full-service salon, couches, and plasma TVs. “We have a grid system that is actually across the entire ceiling, so if we wanted to drop a Hummer out of the middle of the ceiling, we could,” said Mazer. “The facility is designed for acoustics as well, so whether you are here for a comedian like Jay Leno or a loud rock band like the Smashing Pumpkins, you will hear clear, clean sound unlike anything you will hear at any other theater.” The Venue is helping to build bridges between the Horseshoe and the 21 to 35 age demographic, people who only make periodic gambling trips compared to older segments of the population. By combining a gambling and entertainment with the appeal of a nightclub-esque atmosphere, the Horseshoe is opening doors to its future consumer base while simultaneously improving the experience for its current regular customers. Food quality and variety is another high priority for Mazer. Between Benny’s Home Cookin’, Fai Choi, Jack Binion’s Steak House, JB’s Gourmet Sandwiches & Salads, and the Village Square Buffet, guests have a variety of options for places to eat. Not only that, but the food has been highly rated by customers and critics alike, with the Chicago Tribune giving Jack Binion’s Steak House a four chip rating. Risk and reward There is plenty of room for growth for the Horseshoe, so it was constructed with the future in mind. The second floor of the casino has room for additional restaurant options; sustainability initiatives, which include converting diesel vehicles and heaters to operate on used buffet cooking oil and using CFL light bulbs, will help control costs; and fiber optic technology was installed proactively to prepare for a future that includes downloadable games. The Horseshoe also monitors its customer service levels constantly, sending out roughly 10,000 surveys a month to score its performance levels. Each employee is eligible for a bonus of up to $200 per quarter for service scores that exceed the previous year’s service levels. This not only provides incentive to provide excellent service but to continuously improve service as well. “We have some other reward and recognition programs that allow employees to accumulate points they can use for money or gift cards, and we are adding a new dimension to that this year so they can use their points to buy days off or for theater tickets,” said Mazer. Although the economic conditions were different when the original expansion plan was conceived, the Horseshoe and its leadership are cautiously optimistic about the immediate future and beyond. By providing a first-class entertainment experience, Mazer believes the Horseshoe can be a destination of choice for people in good and bad economic times. “People need to get away and be entertained. We provide a viable alternative for them to enjoy themselves, control their spending, see a great show in a world-class facility, and maybe even win a little,” he concluded. |
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