Existing casino dealing a losing hand to Coast locals

BEFORE the government makes a final decision about approving a second casino for the Gold Coast, it should pay a visit to the current one.

While the casino may be making a good income from visiting high rollers who gamble large sums, it would appear to be losing patronage from locals and smaller players.

Among other cost-saving measures, the Rapid Fusion games (roulette and baccarat) which run two live dealers continuously is now closed for six hours daily along with other live tables, alienating morning players.

Like many other businesses they appear to have adopted the negative approach of cutting costs, including reducing staff, rather than finding a positive solution to increase patronage. This rarely leads to a long-term solution. The mood among patrons and staff is becoming more negative with the majority voicing their discontent, hardly the recipe for building excitement.

It’s much easier to lose customers than gain them, especially if a new player enters the market. A new casino would undoubtedly lead to a much greater cut in jobs, so that the net gain from an employment perspective could be quite limited.

The casino should rethink its policies before too much damage is done, and the government be more realistic. IAN TIMMINS, MERMAID BEACH