With less than a month left for the opening of the highly anticipated Red Rock Casino and Resort, private tours of the Station Casinos property have already begun.  However, you won't find any of the other local Las Vegas casino owners there, who according to the Las Vegas Sun, are not worried one bit about the new competition to the locals gambling market.

Both the owners of nearby Rampart Casino and Suncoast Casino were interviewed by The Sun, and did not openly express any concern on losing business to the Red Rock property.  What could very well be a front, both casinos expressed different reasons as to why they are confident their players will not leave.  Bill Paulos, the co-owner of Rampart Casino, said their base of players like the "feel of what they do".  Well, he just better hope "the feel" of the Red Rock, which many are saying is the caliber of any new Strip casino, is not a change his customers are looking for.

Coast Casinos Chief Executive, Michael Gaughan, gave similar comments, stating that the increased growth in the Valley of Las Vegas - particularly in Summerlin - will insulate Suncoast Casino, thereby not losing out to the Red Rock.  However, it seems that Suncoast is planning to take somewhat of a hit, now that they have announced an expansion of a free slots promotion, which Gaughan says will now include Coast's Gold Coast and Orleans Casinos.

Marketing tactics will invariably be a major factor in keeping players from leaving to Red Rock Casino.  Gaughan says that Suncoast will not resort to the same marketing ploys used by Station Casinos, which include the promise of large progressive jackpots to slots gamblers, as well as free, inexpensive gifts through mailing's.  Rather, he says Suncoast will be doing what it has always done - reward their players for gambling at their casinos.  In other words, the more one gambles, the more free stuff they get.