Culloton Strategies LLC

Rivers Casino Case Study

Problem:

Rivers Casino needed to navigate through controversy, legislative interests in Springfield and high expectations from Des Plaines and its surrounding communities.

Strategy:

Culloton Strategies needed to pay attention to all the moving parts, while creating and maintaining buzz for the opening of the casino. Legislation threatened the opening of the casino and the quality of life for region. The casino also needed to build a world-class facility on a tight construction timetable and recruit and train 1000 employees in advance of a highly anticipated opening of the casino. CS created a media strategy that would drive awareness of job creation, new tax revenues and created a voice of the casino, ensuring the public get the right story. CS also needed to employ our consumer-branding arm to ensure the opening went off without a hitch and created buzz that would drive awareness months after the opening.

Results:

Midwest Gaming, doing business as Rivers Casino, invested $445 million and created hundred of construction jobs, approximately 1,000 permanent jobs and over $150 million in annual gaming tax revenue. Rivers Casino opened July 18, 2011, breaking records for attendance and gaming revenues.