GAMBLING
I’ve always known Chester to be a gambling town. The illegal street numbers were big when I was young and the so-called legal state lottery are played by many. We’ve been taking bus trips to Atlantic City for 30 years and when that got old, weekends in the Mohegan Sun became a trend.
Every time I walk through Harrah's I see Chester folks who probably shouldn’t be there. I wish they could win based on need but we know that’s not the nature of casinos.
I hate that Harrah’s sits so close to such a large pool of poor people. It takes some effort to get to Atlantic City which may discourage all but the hard core gamblers. But with a casino in your back yard, the attraction is too compelling.
ADVERTISING
Harrah’s spends a lot of money on advertising but none of it is spent to attract the Chester gambler. I see their ads on TV, radio, billboards and in the Philly papers but they ignore advertising in Chester.
They only spent $50 with the Chester Spotlight since they opened and the only ads I’ve seen in the Chester Spirit are for their job fairs. People often asked me why the Chester Spotlight never had Harrah’s ads, especially when it only cost $400 for a full page per month. Believe me, it wasn’t for lack of trying.
I hate that Harrah’s takes the Chester gambler for granted. But, deep down inside I’m glad they do.
FOOD
The food offerings at Harrah’s is my greatest disappointment.
You can find a lot of good food in Chester but we don’t have a quality sit down restaurant. When the Cove first opened in Harrah’s, I was a huge fan. They lost me when they raised their prices with the a-la-carte menu. I was going to give it another try and was disappointed to find that the Cove is only open a few days a week.
Hey Harrah’s. People do eat on Tuesdays, too.
Buffets remind me too much of school cafeterias and there is nothing outstanding about Harrah’s buffet that drew me back. The diner was ok but that’s the type of food Chester eateries thrive on so I wasn’t a big fan. The sports bar food is typical bar food and the concession stand has a great burger but it’s pricey.
I hate that the casino doesn’t have great food offerings. I would be in there a whole lot more if they did.
ENTERTAINMENT
I don’t have Comcast so when I want to see the Sixers or Phillies I leave the house. When Allen Iverson returned to the Sixers, I figured I’d watch that game on one TV and Monday Night Football on another TV while having an adult beverage and some food.
I didn’t want to go far from home so Harrah’s sports bar was my first choice. When I walked up to the End Zone, the place was closed. Oh My!
Can you call yourself a sports bar if you are not open for Monday Night Football?
I hate the End Zone. It really isn’t set up like a sports bar and because it’s not an enclosed room, the live bands sound bad. Their 3/4 height walls sends the sound I should be hearing right on the casino floor.
Yet, Chester folks really supported Thursday night Karaoke at the End Zone and they always come to see the Chester band Raising Kane. Karaoke was abruptly cancelled and Raising Kane can’t get a deal to play every week despite the amount of money Chester folks spend in the club when the band is there.
What I hate about Harrah's is that as an entertainment corporation, other than gambling, they don’t offer the community entertainment options that we enjoy.
I understand that your core business is gambling but you have to get people in the building to gamble. Give me a real sports bar, some good food, and some music that I like and I guarantee that me and a host of others will be there on a regular basis.
Make your comment on what you like about Harrah's?
I have never been to Harrah’s and I live close enough to it. The only thing I have heard people talk about that turns them off is the prostitution that comes with a place like that. But I guess that’s another topic on Harrah’s. People who go there probably ignore that fact along with the other undesirables that were mentioned in the blog because it is the closest place for them. Harrah’s sounds like a very sad place to be.
ReplyDeleteThe End Zone has good food at reasonable prices and I've taken quite a few people there for lunch or dinner. The noise from the "tape" of winning slot machines is deafening though, and seems to be amplified in this restaurant. I'm sure the "tape" is supposed to entice us to gamble, but it gives me a headache. Perhaps they can turn the speakers down in the restaurant?
ReplyDeleteThe fact that you never know if a restaurant will be open or not is ridiculous, so I end up avoiding the place entirely. They don't even post schedules on their website.
ReplyDeleteThe place is a glorified pole barn, a dump! It pays minimum wage and serve yourself soda fountains along the walls. Where are the waitresses hustling the free drinks to the gamblers? It's the only casino I ever went to and had to pay 9 bucks for a drink while I gambled. The Cove is always closed and the buffet stinks. On top of that, there's the high roller floor that common folk will never see.
ReplyDeleteI say, before you allow table games, force them to upgrade the rest of the place. Parx Casino is much nicer and the owner there actually put some money into the place.
The casino is a mess everyone is putting in but nothing seems 2 be coming out delaware park is da best they offer u free game play free food and pay out we need 2 get them out of here what r they really doing 4 chester nothing and that soccer stadium who iz that really 4 not us r kids play basketball and football so we know who it's really 4 and it surely aint us
ReplyDelete