Rainbow Hotel Casino
May 1, 2009
It’s not the newest or the biggest casino in Vicksburg. Miss., but the Rainbow has carved out a loyal following by delivering its own brand of fun and value in a friendly, down-home atmosphere.
“People aren’t intimidated by Rainbow,” says
General Manager Vivi Piskowitz. “It’s a friendly, family-type casino. A lot of
us have been here for 15 years, and a lot of our customers have been around
that long, and they’re just comfortable.”
When the Rainbow first opened on July
16, 1994, locals traveled from a 100-mile radius to play the 573 slots and 28
table games. But they came back, Piskowitz says, because of the people and the
value and entertainment they receive for their gaming
dollar.
“We maintain our good, low prices. They know
they can come get a quality meal here. It’s good home cooking. They know when
they come and play that we give them good return on their money, whether it’s
points or direct-mail response or promotions. We’re always making sure we have
the best prices or the best games or the best pay-back or the best point
structure. We give them more time on device.”
Rainbow also has a strong video poker
following. “I think our reputation for that has grown,” says Piskowitz. “People
from all over the state know us for that.”
And those core drivers haven’t changed,
even as the property has improved over the years with a greater variety of
games — more than 800 video and reel-spinning slots and seven table games — and
more casual dining options and special events and
activities.
The property originally was operated by Rainbow
City Casino Partnership, a subsidiary of Alliance Gaming, which later acquired
slot maker Bally Gaming International and in 2006 changed its name to Bally
Technologies. The Rainbow has undergone numerous expansions and improvements
since. Among the more significant was the addition of an 89-room hotel owned
and operated by AmeriHost Inns. Most recently, the Rainbow added the
12,500-square-foot upscale Riverview Buffet and two meeting
rooms.
For Bally, ownership provides unique
benefits.
“The casino is quite possibly one of
the best returns on invested capital ever in a casino, and it is a good
revenue-generating business for Bally Technologies as a corporate entity,” says
Alex Dungan, Bally vice president of casino operations.
It also serves as a platform for Bally
to refine new products and compare their performance to those of other
manufacturers.
“While Vicksburg is a unique market when you compare
it to markets throughout the world, it does give us a good statistical
representation of how we, as Bally game providers, perform against our
competitive set,” says Dungan.
Bally’s systems products also are
deployed on the floor, including SDS and iView, and that gives the company an
additional opportunity to learn, Dungan says. “It lets us work out the kinks
before we go out to the rest of the customers in the
world.”
Last October, when the Riverwalk Casino
Hotel opened up right next door it took a bite out of Rainbow’s market, but it
also has begun to create some critical mass for both
properties.
“It’s really been good for us,”
Piskowitz says. “It’s helped to get more people down here, and we’re sort of
feeding off each other in our promotions, and we have a lot of overflow. People
walk back and forth — they park once and go twice.”
The neighbor also keeps Rainbow on its
toes.
“We’ve tried to spend money getting our
floor freshened up, getting new games in, getting new carpet and new ceiling
tile and painting,” Piskowitz says. “We’re trying to get back to our main theme
as Rainbow as a colorful place. We’re adding a lot of color, and we’ve added a
lot of meeting space so we can accommodate bigger groups.”
It’s paying off, she says, as more
events, such as family reunions, wedding receptions and class
reunions
are being booked.
Rainbow and Riverwalk are exploring
ways to generate even more synergy by pooling resources for joint events.
“We’ve talked with their people, and that is out there in the future, to have
products and promotions and events together,” Piskowitz says. “We have twice
the hotel space now, twice the space for meetings and twice the space for meals
to provide for people so we can have bigger events here.”
And having a strong sense of identity
and an understanding of its players continues to serve Rainbow
well.
“We do what we do best and do it very
profitably,” Piskowitz says. “And we also are stand-alone, so we’re not
controlled by some corporate marketing function off somewhere that doesn’t
really understand our area and our people, and we have the flexibility to
change what we do on a day’s notice if we have to. We might just decide to have
a tournament and send out some invitations to a few people or have a little
party for somebody. We can do a lot more of those things spontaneously.”
Rainbow Facts
• More than 800 video and reel-spinning slot machines and seven table games
• 340 employees
• Opened July 16, 1994
• Dining amenities include the Riverview Buffet, featuring popular Southern and traditional favorites and international cuisine, and the blues-themed Crossroads Deli, offering hamburgers and specialty sandwiches
• The Rainbow Hotel, operated by Amerihost Inns, offers 89 rooms, including suites, king and double-occupancies
• Meeting space includes the 125-seat River Room and the 1,000-seat Rainbow Event Center
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