Less spending equals less entertainment at casinos

Monday, Oct. 27, 2003 | 9:33 a.m.

ALBUQUERQUE -- New Mexico casinos from Albuquerque to Santa Fe say they are cutting back on the number of entertainment acts because of stiff competition and lagging ticket sales.

Casinos managers say it's increasingly less profitable to offer up acts that won't get audiences running to buy tickets.

"It's a competitive market," said Jim Kofakis, the marketing director of San Felipe Pueblo's Casino Hollywood. "People only have so much discretionary money to spend and we're competing against each other."

The Albuquerque metro area offers up a variety of performers every week. But casinos have had to cancel shows as people become more selective about how they spend their money.

Already Casino Hollywood has canceled a Dec. 14 Paul Anka show, a Dec. 31 Franki Valli show and two shows in early 2004.

Engelbert Humperdinck performed at Laguna Pueblo's new Route 66 Casino west of Albuquerque Friday but decided to skip his Saturday night show and come back at a later date.

While casinos do not necessarily have to make money on each show they bring in, they can't lose too much money on the performances, Kofakis said.

Some of the 12 tribally owned casinos and four non-reservation racetrack casinos are trying to take hold of specific entertainment niches in order to compete with the onslaught of competitors.

Santa Ana Star Casino is looking to grab the local edge by booking locals acts, while Isleta Casino is planning to launch a comedy club in early November.

"That's probably the way we're all going," Kofakis said. "We're going to be more selective with dates and more selective with talent and we're going to advertise when we get the big name."