Revel Adopts New Marketing Strategy

Atlantic City's newest casino now acknowledges it is a casino.

Revel, the $2.4 billion resort that lasted less than a year before filing for bankruptcy, is changing its name to Revel Casino-Hotel.

The name change is part of a new marketing strategy the casino is adopting to try to increase its customer base and compete more effectively in the cut-throat Northeast gambling market. It is due to be unveiled Thursday.

"Revel plans an extensive launch of its new marketing strategy and market positioning strategy, which includes calling 'Revel' 'Revel Casino-Hotel,''' spokeswoman Lisa Johnson said. She would not discuss the details ahead of Thursday's announcement.

Since it opened in April 2012, Revel presented itself as a destination resort that just happened to have a casino, too. Although Revel did well with leisure travelers and group bookings, that strategy seemed to backfire as many gamblers tried it, then reverted back to their previous favorite casinos.

But Revel's new executives have said they want to pay more attention to the gambling side of the business, improving the casino's performance. It has ranked near the bottom of Atlantic City's 12 casinos in terms of the amount of money won from gamblers.

For the first five months of this year, Revel has won just over $46 million, worse than all but one of the city's casinos, the struggling Trump Plaza Hotel Casino, which won just $29.8 million over that same period.

Revel filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection earlier this year, and emerged from it last month with far less debt and a new management and marketing team.

Revel recently opened a new high-limit slots area and added a players' club lounge, both of which were presented as part of a renewed effort to make gamblers feel more welcome.
 
 

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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