Could $10 Tables Help Bally’s Become Atlantic City’s ‘Locals Casino’?

ATLANTIC CITY — When Tom Pohlman took over as president of Bally’s Atlantic City this month, he identified a potentially important niche for the Boardwalk casino: becoming a place that attracts local and frequent customers with value, entertainment and a reason to keep coming back.

Now, longtime casino-industry observer Roger Gros says Pohlman may be exactly the executive Bally’s needs to make that strategy work — and says something as simple as bringing back $10 table games at selected times could help.

“I think Bally’s has a great opportunity to do that,” Gros, editor-at-large of Global Gaming Business magazine, said Tuesday on Off The Press with Scott Cronick on WOND. “I think it’s still up for grabs.”

The discussion came just days after Pohlman spoke on the same program about his plans for Bally’s, which has struggled to keep pace with Atlantic City’s larger casinos.

Pohlman said he sees an opportunity to create a stronger identity for the property by taking a page from Parx Casino in Bensalem, Pennsylvania.

“They’re the locals casino in Bensalem, Pennsylvania,” Pohlman said.

Then he posed the question he hopes to answer in Atlantic City:

“Can Bally’s be that place? I sure hope so.”

Gros: Pohlman is ‘exactly the right guy’

Gros has known Pohlman for years and gave Bally’s new president a strong endorsement.

“He is exactly the right guy,” Gros said.

Pohlman previously spent years at Golden Nugget Atlantic City and has extensive experience in the local casino industry.

“He knows this market like nobody else,” Gros said.

That doesn't mean Gros believes Bally’s turnaround will be easy.

The casino generated only a small fraction of the operating profits reported by Atlantic City’s market leaders during the first half of the year. Gros also said portions of the casino floor need improvement, describing some of Bally’s slot machines as “ancient.”

But he praised other recent improvements, including the property's restaurants and high-limit room, and said Pohlman's knowledge of the market could allow Bally’s to compete differently rather than attempting to imitate the city's biggest resorts.

Gros expects Pohlman to experiment.

“I think you’re going to see some innovative marketing there,” he said.

What happened to Atlantic City’s locals casino?

Cronick raised a question that helped define the discussion: Which Atlantic City casino currently owns the locals market?

Years ago, several properties developed strong followings among local and frequent gamblers looking for lower prices and more approachable gaming.

But Gros agreed that no casino clearly owns that position today.

That could create an opening for Bally’s.

The strategy would also fit what Pohlman himself said shortly after assuming the job.

Pohlman talked about providing value to “locals or high frequency customers” and said his broader goal is straightforward:

“My intent is to bring the fun back to Bally’s, bring the excitement, bring the volume back.”

He also emphasized making the casino appealing to regular customers and giving them reasons to return.

For Gros, one of the simplest ways to demonstrate that value would be on the casino floor.

Bring back the $10 tables?

Gros said Atlantic City casinos have largely moved away from low-minimum table games, even during slower periods when tables aren't full.

He believes that is a mistake.

“There’s plenty of profit in $10 tables,” Gros said.

He isn't suggesting Bally’s keep $10 games running around the clock on busy summer weekends.

“You can’t offer them 24 hours on the weekend,” Gros said.

Instead, he said Bally’s could offer lower minimums during slower periods and then raise the minimum when demand increases, while allowing customers already playing to remain at the lower level.

Gros described those kinds of policies as relatively inexpensive ways to make customers feel valued.

“These kind of things that are simple things to do, player-friendly things to do, are not happening in Atlantic City,” Gros said.

An advantage over New York?

The strategy could become particularly relevant as Atlantic City prepares for additional casino competition from New York.

Gros said table-game minimums at New York-area casinos can be dramatically higher.

“When you go to New York, you’re lucky if you find a $50 minimum table up there,” Gros said.

That gives Atlantic City an opportunity to differentiate itself on price, he argued.

“If we can offer $10 minimum games here at certain times of the day, I think that’s what would bring people to Atlantic City more so than opening another restaurant,” Gros said.

The argument is particularly relevant for Bally’s because competing head-to-head with Borgata, Hard Rock and Ocean on the scale of their resorts would require enormous investment.

Creating a reputation for value could offer a different route.

Pohlman wants customers to come back

Pohlman's earlier comments suggest he is thinking along similar lines.

Rather than focusing exclusively on premium gamblers, Pohlman talked about the importance of ordinary customers and building an experience that encourages repeat visits.

He said “all customers are important” and discussed attracting “folks like you and me,” while emphasizing the need to make sure people want to return.

That philosophy could extend beyond gambling.

Pohlman has talked about affordable drinks, entertainment, customer service and restoring energy to the property as part of the effort to rebuild Bally’s business.

The casino does have some assets Gros believes are underappreciated.

“I love their restaurants,” Gros said, specifically praising Park Place Prime and Jerry Longo’s Meatballs & Martinis.

He also praised Bally’s recently developed high-limit room.

But Gros' larger argument is that Bally’s needs an identity.

And in a market increasingly dominated by large resorts chasing premium customers, becoming known as Atlantic City's place for locals, frequent visitors and gamblers looking for value could provide one.

‘He’s got a great future’

Pohlman takes over at a complicated time for Bally’s Corp., which is pursuing major projects outside Atlantic City while dealing with broader financial pressures.

That makes improving the Atlantic City property particularly important.

Gros nevertheless said he believes the company is well managed and expressed confidence in Pohlman.

“If he can turn this Atlantic City casino around, man, he’s got a great future in the Bally’s company,” Gros said.

Pohlman has already described what he hopes Bally’s can become.

“Can Bally’s be that place?” he asked when discussing the possibility of becoming Atlantic City's locals casino.

“I sure hope so.”

Gros' assessment suggests the opportunity is there.

The challenge now is turning that idea into a reason for customers to walk through Bally’s doors — and perhaps finding a $10 table waiting for them when they do.