Citing more gaming in all his major feeder markets, George Markantonis, the president and general manager of Kerzner International Bahamas, the operator of the Atlantis, is pleading for help from the government.

"The casino spend per occupied room is about the same as it has always been, so we are not having any big differences there," he told the Nassau Guardian.

But Markantonis cites increasing gaming in states such as Florida, New York and Pennsylvania, all prime markets for the Atlantis. He fears that his property will be impacted as other destination resorts have been.

"The legalization of casinos one by one is going to impact our business," he contends, "because if you just have to drive down the street to go to a casino why would you go all the way to the airport, spend an hour and a half going through security, fly somewhere, go through customs and immigration just to go to a casino? That's going to be a challenge for us."

To help insulate the Atlantis from that challenge, Markantonis wants the government to move quickly to allow permanent residents of the Bahamas to gamble, something they are prohibited from doing today. A government study group has been set up, led by Tourism Minister Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace, but is far from completing its work. Markantonis called the group's report "critical to the survival of gaming."

"I know it's a complicated issue, it's certainly a much more political and social discussion and Atlantis wouldn't put itself in the middle of trying to force those issues one way or another. That is something the government has to look at every way, but I think it's important," he explained to the Guardian.

By GGB Staff

Staff writers for Global Gaming Business magazine. Las Vegas, Nevada.