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Pinnacle casino banks on downtown St. Louis
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ST. LOUIS (AP) - The opening of Pinnacle Entertainment's Lumiere Place on Wednesday brings a new player to the region's casino scene, one that put down $507 million in its quest to become an entertainment destination in downtown St. Louis.
Nearby casinos in Missouri and Illinois expressed confidence that they can retain their patrons, positioning themselves as having distinct qualities from the competition.
Las Vegas-based Pinnacle Entertainment Inc. has developed 7.5 acres on the Mississippi riverfront near the Gateway Arch, with plans to transform an additional 10 acres in the future.
It called on Marnell Architecture, the firm that designed the Bellagio in Las Vegas, to design the contemporary look of the casino complex, which includes lighting that frames the outside of a 24-story hotel tower. Pinnacle also owns the President Casino-St. Louis, a gambling boat that floats nearby on the river.
Two hotels, a Four Seasons and a renovated Embassy Suites now called HoteLumiere, are scheduled to open by the end of March. The new casino has a gaming floor of 75,000 square feet, with 2,000 slot machines and 49 game tables.
“The bricks and mortar are one thing. Our product is the experience people go away with,” said Lumiere Place general manager Todd George, just hours before the casino's 10 p.m. opening to the public.
Around the casino complex, hundreds of workers were busy readying the site, painting and moving equipment as construction continued. An underground tunnel is being built from the casino to the Edward Jones Dome, where the St. Louis Rams play, to draw visitors from the other side of Interstate 70 to the riverfront.
Well-known chef Hubert Keller of Fleur de Lys paused while checking drinking glasses in a cardboard box at Burger Bar and gave an overview of one of the two restaurants he will open in the complex.
His restaurants at Lumiere Place include Sleek, a steakhouse scheduled to open next year, and the Burger Bar. It's a restaurant focused on letting customers build their own burgers, where they can choose from salmon, poultry, three kinds of beef and about 40 burger toppings.
His Burger Bar in Las Vegas draws not just gamblers, but business patrons and families for a bite, and he hopes his St. Louis site will as well.
Casino operators in the St. Louis region said they expect many of their patrons will try out the newest casino kid on the block.
“Anytime somebody opens, there's a market share shift. They kick the tires, check it out,” George said.
The trick apparently is not just bringing in patrons, but in bringing them back. Lumiere Place believes it can do that, in large part through the quality of its staff, service and the overall entertainment experience it will offer. It wants to attract new casino patrons, including visitors from the nearby convention center and residents moving in downtown.
Several casino competitors in the region point to their own construction, renovation, entertainment and restaurant offerings as a way to retain their patrons and attract new ones.
The Casino Queen in East St. Louis, Ill., used to operate a riverboat on the Mississippi River, but opened a new floating gambling complex in August, a $92 million project.
Ameristar in the St. Louis suburb of St. Charles will open a new nightclub, called Home, on Dec. 27, where patrons can dance, play Xbox or sit at 20 bottle-service tables. It called Home St. Louis part of its $265 million resort renovation, which includes a 400-room hotel and a full-service spa.
Harrah's St. Louis, located in the St. Louis suburb of Maryland Heights, pointed to its World Series of Poker room as being the only one of its kind in the area. It has done extensive renovations, and invested $17 million in its new “Eat Up Buffet Experience,” which it considers to be seven different restaurants in one, said Andy Grieve with Harrah's.
The casinos said the hope would be that if everyone is upping their game, it could bring more visitors to the area and through their doors.
More attention because of Lumiere Place could benefit the regional market.
“They're gambling, but that's their business, that they can become a destination casino,” said Gene McNary, executive director of the Missouri Gaming Commission. The former St. Louis County executive said he thinks the casino, along with other downtown projects, will help St. Louis' ongoing revitalization.
Nearby casinos in Missouri and Illinois expressed confidence that they can retain their patrons, positioning themselves as having distinct qualities from the competition.
Las Vegas-based Pinnacle Entertainment Inc. has developed 7.5 acres on the Mississippi riverfront near the Gateway Arch, with plans to transform an additional 10 acres in the future.
It called on Marnell Architecture, the firm that designed the Bellagio in Las Vegas, to design the contemporary look of the casino complex, which includes lighting that frames the outside of a 24-story hotel tower. Pinnacle also owns the President Casino-St. Louis, a gambling boat that floats nearby on the river.
Two hotels, a Four Seasons and a renovated Embassy Suites now called HoteLumiere, are scheduled to open by the end of March. The new casino has a gaming floor of 75,000 square feet, with 2,000 slot machines and 49 game tables.
“The bricks and mortar are one thing. Our product is the experience people go away with,” said Lumiere Place general manager Todd George, just hours before the casino's 10 p.m. opening to the public.
Around the casino complex, hundreds of workers were busy readying the site, painting and moving equipment as construction continued. An underground tunnel is being built from the casino to the Edward Jones Dome, where the St. Louis Rams play, to draw visitors from the other side of Interstate 70 to the riverfront.
Well-known chef Hubert Keller of Fleur de Lys paused while checking drinking glasses in a cardboard box at Burger Bar and gave an overview of one of the two restaurants he will open in the complex.
His restaurants at Lumiere Place include Sleek, a steakhouse scheduled to open next year, and the Burger Bar. It's a restaurant focused on letting customers build their own burgers, where they can choose from salmon, poultry, three kinds of beef and about 40 burger toppings.
His Burger Bar in Las Vegas draws not just gamblers, but business patrons and families for a bite, and he hopes his St. Louis site will as well.
Casino operators in the St. Louis region said they expect many of their patrons will try out the newest casino kid on the block.
“Anytime somebody opens, there's a market share shift. They kick the tires, check it out,” George said.
The trick apparently is not just bringing in patrons, but in bringing them back. Lumiere Place believes it can do that, in large part through the quality of its staff, service and the overall entertainment experience it will offer. It wants to attract new casino patrons, including visitors from the nearby convention center and residents moving in downtown.
Several casino competitors in the region point to their own construction, renovation, entertainment and restaurant offerings as a way to retain their patrons and attract new ones.
The Casino Queen in East St. Louis, Ill., used to operate a riverboat on the Mississippi River, but opened a new floating gambling complex in August, a $92 million project.
Ameristar in the St. Louis suburb of St. Charles will open a new nightclub, called Home, on Dec. 27, where patrons can dance, play Xbox or sit at 20 bottle-service tables. It called Home St. Louis part of its $265 million resort renovation, which includes a 400-room hotel and a full-service spa.
Harrah's St. Louis, located in the St. Louis suburb of Maryland Heights, pointed to its World Series of Poker room as being the only one of its kind in the area. It has done extensive renovations, and invested $17 million in its new “Eat Up Buffet Experience,” which it considers to be seven different restaurants in one, said Andy Grieve with Harrah's.
The casinos said the hope would be that if everyone is upping their game, it could bring more visitors to the area and through their doors.
More attention because of Lumiere Place could benefit the regional market.
“They're gambling, but that's their business, that they can become a destination casino,” said Gene McNary, executive director of the Missouri Gaming Commission. The former St. Louis County executive said he thinks the casino, along with other downtown projects, will help St. Louis' ongoing revitalization.
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