You wouldn’t know it by looking at the outside, but Northern California’s newest casino is just two weeks away from opening its doors.recommend casino
Nestled in the Amador foothills, the new Harrah's Northern California casino is a partnership between the Buena Vista Rancheria Me-Wuk tribe and Cesar’s entertainment.
"Nine hundred fifty slot machines, 20 tables games, we’ll have quick serve restaurants with Mexican, Asian and American food," Assistant General Manager Lisa Yahrling said. "Louis Oliver's is our nice dining restaurant."
Yahrling says the biggest benefit to loyal gamblers is the expansion of the Caesar's network in the region.
The economic impact is what others await. The Ione property is still hiring some positions, but so far casino executives say the project has created more than 400 jobs -- 80% of which have gone to local people.According to Paul Debole, a professor at Lassell College and a gaming expert, Encore Boston Harbor (EBH) is a "wild card" for Wynn, because "the company's business model is predicated on bringing in a lot of high rollers from all over the world." In an interview with The Boston Globe, he posed the question: "Are these people going to come to Everett? Or do they just want to go to Las Vegas?"
Although this was intended to soothe investors' concerns about the viability of their Las Vegas and Macau businesses, it definitely raises concerns about the potential of the Boston operation. Wynn's business model at EBH is to transplant Las Vegas into Boston -- a model that Maddox doesn't seem to believe in.
According to Steph Solis of MassLive, "one of the key factors that set Wynn Resorts apart from its competitors in Massachusetts is the company's database of 10 million "brand loyalists" who executives hope to attract to the Greater Boston area." However, if the Wynn CEO says that nowhere can beat Las Vegas in the long run, how will Boston be successful?
In addition, as Prof. Debole pointed out, Las Vegas isn't that much costlier than staying at Encore Boston Harbor, either. On Kayak, two nonstop, round-trip tickets from Boston to Las Vegas cost just $480. Couple those flights with two nights at Encore Las Vegas for $305/night (excluding promos, including fees) and it will cost $1090. Two nights at EBH? Excluding promos, $550 per night, or $1100 (conservatively, assuming zero in travel costs). While saving $10, travelers get access to the spectacle of Las Vegas, plus scores of dining, entertainment and shopping.
