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ATLANTIC CITY, New Jersey -- A casino that recently began selling advertising space on its blackjack tables will abandon the practice.
The Sands Hotel & Casino designed table layouts that contained ads for Remy Martin cognac, installing them on more than a dozen tables last month. The idea was to raise money for the casino, which filed for bankruptcy four years ago and last year posted its second-lowest gross operating profit ever.
But a change in Sands leadership - former Showboat Casino-Hotel president Herbert Wolfe took over in March - prompted the casino to rethink the table ads.
"Somebody thought it was a good idea two years ago, that's when the original negotiations started," said Harvey Perkins, vice president of casino operations. "But we want to bolster and solidify the brand name of the Sands, not cheapen it. They may be great products, but we want people to think about the Sands, not other products."
The ads, which showed two bottles of Remy Martin side by side, near the bottom of the table layout, will be removed within 45 days, Perkins said.
Other casinos have expressed an interest in using table games for advertising. Casino regulators do not oppose the ads, as long as they do not interfere with the integrity of the games or the ability of surveillance cameras to follow the action.
The Sands Hotel & Casino designed table layouts that contained ads for Remy Martin cognac, installing them on more than a dozen tables last month. The idea was to raise money for the casino, which filed for bankruptcy four years ago and last year posted its second-lowest gross operating profit ever.
But a change in Sands leadership - former Showboat Casino-Hotel president Herbert Wolfe took over in March - prompted the casino to rethink the table ads.
"Somebody thought it was a good idea two years ago, that's when the original negotiations started," said Harvey Perkins, vice president of casino operations. "But we want to bolster and solidify the brand name of the Sands, not cheapen it. They may be great products, but we want people to think about the Sands, not other products."
The ads, which showed two bottles of Remy Martin side by side, near the bottom of the table layout, will be removed within 45 days, Perkins said.
Other casinos have expressed an interest in using table games for advertising. Casino regulators do not oppose the ads, as long as they do not interfere with the integrity of the games or the ability of surveillance cameras to follow the action.