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Thursday, June 26, 2008

20 Minutes to Nowhere

- Paul Post reports in the Thoroughbred Times that the change of leadership in the NY Senate may slow down the process of selecting a gaming operator for the proposed Aqueduct racino.

Slow it down?!? If this process gets any slower, we'll be going backwards and have Empire bidding for the franchise again! We're also told that a decision might be coming in the next week or two, but how many times have we heard that in the last few months??

Delaware North President William Bissett, addressing the fact that his company's bid is the only one not including a hotel/entertainment center, said: “It’s not the way we’re going to build the model.”

Asked how Aqueduct would compete with large casino resorts in Connecticut and Atlantic City, Bissett said, “There are 12-million people within 20 minutes of Aqueduct. I’ll take that opportunity any day.”
Really? Is Bissett talking about 20 minutes driving? I don't think that would extend out very far - certainly to neither Manhattan nor Long Island - and would be comprised of mostly solid working class neighborhoods. If that's the people he's counting on to gamble away their hard-earned salaries, then I'm now entirely opposed to the entire racino idea there; sign me up with the nearest Christian conservative wackos!

And if he's talking about mass transit, well, that wouldn't encompass many people at all. 20 minutes will take you a few miles on the Q37 bus; and not very far on the A train (and shuttle bus to and from the track entrance) at all. Makes you wonder if this guy has even been to the Big A and the surrounding areas at all.

4 Comments:

Anonymous said...

My bet is he meant 20 miles. Getting 12 million people within 20 minutes would mean you would have a very dense population within approximately 2 miles of Aqueduct. 20 miles he is probably correct. And that is one huge base to be drawing from. And don't fool yourself on who goes to casinos. There are all types from high rollers to your average Joe.

Anonymous said...

20 minutes via helicopter?

Anonymous said...

Any feel for the new guys position on racing/vlt's at Belmont.

He is a Nassua County Republican, and I believe they were begging for VLT's at Belmont during the last round of negotiations.

Gut feeling... VLT's coming to Belmont soon.

Anonymous said...

He probably meant 20 miles. Based upon the racino at Yonkers and the Racino at Saratoga, the place will be packed with mostly middle class, lottery playing, cigarette smoking, gambling lovers. May not be your cup of tea, but the place will be packed.