The Meadows Racetrack & Casino is looking for a return to primacy

Officials at The Meadows Racetrack & Casino want to get back to the position they enjoyed their first few years in business — as the region's top gambling property.

Revenue at the Washington County facility slipped last year and has trailed Rivers Casino since its first full year on Pittsburgh's North Shore in 2010-11.

The Meadows is doubling down its focus and message from the track's 50th anniversary last year to 2014 being about the casino and gambling, said Sean Sullivan, vice president and general manager.

“We've got some bragging rights,” Sullivan said, noting that The Meadows in 2012 paid a $1.2 million progressive slots prize — the largest ever in Pennsylvania.

Such action will be the focus of a marketing campaign, “The One. The Only. The Meadows,” the work of Chicago-based RPM Advertising, which has worked with World Series of Poker founder Jack Binion.

“What gamblers want is a chance to win big and to win big, life-changing jackpots,” said Steve Platcow, RPM's chief executive officer. “And The Meadows already provided that. It's not false claims and puffery.”

By comparison, Rivers Casino paid a $350,000 progressive slots prize in January and a $148,000 slots jackpot in May 2012. Presque Isle Downs & Casino in Erie paid a slots jackpot of $500,000 in November 2012 and two others topping $300,000 since 2010.

Officials with Lady Luck Casino Nemacolin in Fayette County and Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack in West Virginia declined to provide figures to the Tribune-Review. Horseshoe Cleveland and Mountaineer Casino Racetrack & Resort in West Virginia did not respond to a request for information.

“Our goal is to become the No. 1 casino in the market,” said Platcow, adding that this marketing campaign is a step toward that.

To get there, it will have to pass Rivers, which generated more than $350 million in revenue each of the past two years. The Meadows' top year was 2011-12, in which it generated $287.1 million.

“If we want our numbers to be kept, we have to be serious about this,” Sullivan said.

The Meadows has the most slot machines in the region, with 3,293, according to March records from the state Gaming Control Board. Rivers had 2,969 slot machines in March; Presque Isle, 1,700; and Nemacolin — a smaller, resort casino — 582. Cleveland's casino operates about 1,700 machines, according to the Ohio Casino Control Commission. Figures from West Virginia, which has slots-like video lottery terminals, were not available.

The Meadows has paid $25,000 or more in slots jackpots more than a dozen times this year and is willing to accept huge bets at its high-limit table games, including highs of more than $100,000 in action at a craps table by one player on one roll, $15,000 Blackjack bets on two spots in one deal and $25,000 per hand in Baccarat, said Kevin Brogan, marketing director.

“We've watched the difficult position of increased market competition, what we believe is quickly becoming market saturation,” Brogan said, noting seven casinos operate within a 170-mile radius.

Rivers reported accepting a $25,000 table-game wager in August and paying its largest poker prize of $287,120 in December.

“At Rivers Casino, we're entirely focused on providing our guests with the best possible experience each and every visit,” General Manager Craig Clark said. “Our strategy is to highly service all customers, so they return again and again.”

On May 6, the Gaming Control Board will hold a public hearing about a proposed racetrack and casino near New Castle, Lawrence County.

Marketing casinos can get tricky, especially in heavily competitive markets where convenience is a top factor, said Jim Kilby, author of “Principles of Casino Marketing” and a casino gaming consultant.

“In casino marketing today, you're just trying to get more than your competition,” said Kilby of Escondido, Calif. “That's not good, because your competitors can match or better your deal. And they will.”

Rivers officials did not reveal details of its marketing and advertising strategy, or how it has changed in the face of competition. Clark called it a “multifaceted approach.”

Meadows officials won't say how much they'll spend on the campaign, only that they plan to increase by about 10 percent the more than $100 million spent last year on marketing, advertising, customer rewards, comps and promotions.

That included $93 million in free slots play redeemed by customers — the highest in Western Pennsylvania. The Meadows paid back 89.9 percent of money gambled, slightly higher than its rivals in Pittsburgh and Erie, regulators said.

Jason Cato is a Trib Total Media staff writer. Reach him at 412-320-7936 or jcato@tribweb.com.