The
Borgata
Hotel Casino & Spa is little more than 7 months
old, but the parent company is already talking expansion.
Buoyed
by success, Borgata
CEO Robert Boughner told gaming analysts in a conference
call on Wednesday that Boyd Gaming Corp has initiated
the design phase to add more casino space, more meeting
space, more bars, more restaurants and more retail shops.
"We
have the opportunity to generate incremental gaming and
nongaming revenue, so this will be a high-yielding investment
for our property," Boughner said.
"We
also have a demand for more conference space, which will
help drive midweek occupancy," Boughner said.
However,
the expansion will not include additional hotel rooms.
Occupancy rose from 80 percent in the third quarter to
90 percent in the fourth quarter.
Boughner
declined to specify a cost or schedule.
"We
will do it thoughtfully and carefully," he said.
"We feel good about increasing our supply. Over the
long term, Atlantic City and the Borgata
may face competitive forces from other jurisdictions,
but at the Borgata
we envision our future will remain strong."
Boyd
Gaming was not the only casino corporation to talk expansion
on Wednesday. In a conference call of its own, Harrah's
Entertainment Inc. said it is looking at adding hotel
towers at both Harrah's Atlantic City and at the Showboat.
"We've
made no decision which property will go first and when
they will occur," said Gary Loveman, CEO of Harrah's
Entertainment. Showboat opened a new tower last year;
Harrah's, the year before. "But there's still a demand
for room nights."
A
decision could come in the second quarter of this year.
"We're watching the market in Atlantic City and the
prospective competition in places such as Pennsylvania,"
Loveman said.
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