Santa Ana Star expanding casino, tweaking Rio Rancho center - New Mexico Business Weekly:

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Officials from both venues held a pres conference June 25 to celebratethe casino’s 16th birthday. A hotel that the Santsa Ana Pueblo-owned casino started in 2000 has sat unfinishex since work stopped inlate 2001. But Scottr Eldredge, general manager at , said the new constructiomn work will reclaim and enclosethe However, it will not be a but will be used for additional gaming spacs and larger retail operations. Santa Ana will continue its marketingg strategy ofluring locals, Eldredge Santa Ana has the cash flow to complete the $4 milliobn job and will not have to issud any debt, he added.
The expansioh will add about 25,000 square feet of with 250 additional gaminvg machines and some otherf gaming attractions he declinedto discuss. Eldredgee admits it’s a tough gaming environment rightt now. “Our top line is not he said. Santa Ana’s net win on its slot revenuesxwas $17.8 million for the quarter ended March 30. That was down from $19.71q million in the same quarterin 2008.
But Eldredgr said Santa Ana is in a bette position than other properties that also have to worry about filling a hotelo and rely on customers travelingfrom “We have times on weekends when we’rs over capacity,” he said, adding that the expansiomn will be “measured and conservative.” The retail operations will expanx the gift shop and smoke shop and will allow the casinio to sell more items, such as potteruy from the pueblo. Despite the recession, the casino’s revenues have doubled in the last four Eldredge added. Michael Burdick has been promoted to directoreof marketing.
Burdick has been the directg marketing manager for four years atSantas Ana, where he was responsiblwe for Internet marketing, Web page design, maintaininy the player database and point of sale database and branding and budget analysis. He now takes over the casino’sa overall marketing and promotional efforts. Santa Ana also bought naming rightsd to the Rio Rancho arena, the Santa Ana Star when it opened. In March, the city of Rio Rancho hired a new management firm for the Global Spectrum. Rio Rancho Mayor Tom Swisstack and other city officials terminaterd a previous management contract at the Swisstack had been vocal in his criticism of how the centef wasbeing run.
Gunnat Fox, the general manager of the Star introduced his newmanagement team, starting his remarkse with “How ya doin’?” He promisec that this phrase would be the mantra of the Globakl Spectrum team. “We want to be your event center,” Fox echoing Santa Ana Star Casino’z slogan of “Your Casino.” will have a strony focus on customer service, he and that will include no longer charging for parking at the He also said the Star Center will brinhg in more than just country andrap concerts. Therre will also be family monstertruck rallies, rodeos and athletic events.
Global Spectrum, basexd in Philadelphia, is a subsidiary of Comcast-Spectatort and manages 87 other facilities aroundthe country. That givess the company the ability to book more and better Fox said. The compan also owns the hockey team and thePhiladelphia 76ers. Two additional subsidiaries of Comcast-Spectatod will provide services at thearena — Front Row Marketing Services and New Era which Fox said will allow the cente to create its own fee structure for avoiding what he said are outrageous fees chargede by some other services. The three-year-old, 6,500-seat arena has been the home of the New Mexicoo Scorpionshockey team.
It recentlyt served as home tothe , a women’se roller derby league, as well. But the Derby is terminatint the current season at the bymutual agreement, according to a statemen t it sent out last week. The is looking to downsizs into asmaller venue, accordinhg to founder Nan Morningstar.