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Mississippi Casinos Go Cashless - Mississippi casinos, already switching to cashless slots that payout in bar-coded tickets instead of coins, are thinking of the next level of cashless technology - automated machines that read the bar codes and dispense cash. Beau Rivage and Grand Casino Gulfport plan to install the automated machines as soon as the technology is approved by the Mississippi Gaming Commission. The cashless technology eliminates coin jams, and the tedious task of refilling slot machines with change. Players can play at a faster pace, and casinos can cut down on labor and change-handling costs. "Normally, we would have up to 25 floor attendants," says Kate Warner, vice president of slot operations at Grand Casino Gulfport. "With EZ Pay, we have 12 floor attendants." By summer, all of Beau Rivage’s 2,264 slots will be equipped with EZ Pay machines; while Grand Casino is in the middle of a three-year switch. The Copa Casino, however, plans a gradual change. Co-owner Rick Carter says he would rather see other casinos serve as a "guinea pig" for the cashless technology, and they will gradually change to cashless over the next three or four years.

Construction Continues at The Venetian - LAS VEGAS - Core construction continued last week on The Venetian Hotel and Casino’s new $250 million, 1,013-suite second tower. Hotel operations "are the most efficient department in terms of margin," says Brad Stone, executive vice president of Las Vegas Sands, Inc., parent company of The Venetian. "When we can amortize 1,000 rooms over the same overhead, we will obviously have a higher return." The new tower is being built atop the existing 11-floor parking garage. Without the expansion, The Venetian has been limited to 2,300 rooms devoted to group business, with its other rooms allocated to independent travelers, wholesale groups and guests to fill the casino. "We are putting in a concierge level for higher-end customers with 125 rooms facing the Strip on the top six floors … We don’t see any difficulties in filling the expansion with the people looking for a higher quality experience here," says Stone. Upon completion, the 4,049-room Venetian will be the third largest hotel in the world by room count, following MGM Grand and Luxor.