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May 12, 2009 8:05 pm US/Eastern
Rivers Casino Wants To Attract Young People Too
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ―
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Besides the Rivers Casino, Greg Carlin is also the CEO of the Riverwalk Casino in Vicksburg, Mississippi, and the yet-to-be-built Sugarhouse Casino in Philadelphia.
KDKA
Most of the folks at Pennsylvania's slots casinos are over 65.
And, no surprise, the new Rivers Casino wants them to come play the slots here in Pittsburgh more than anywhere else.
But the CEO of Pittsburgh's casino is probably one of the youngest in the country and he wants 20, 30, and 40-somethings to make the Rivers Casino their destination, too.
When Pittsburgh got its slots casino, Don Barden was all over the screen. Now there's a new man in charge, but he'd rather let others do the talking.
"Actually, you're the one that should give the tour. You should be milked, answer questions," Greg Carlin was overheard saying to one of his employees during the recent tour of the Rivers Casino.
Carlin is a 42-year-old Chicago millionaire, a 1988 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, and the quiet, unassuming CEO of the new Rivers Casino.
"I'm a private person, and I take more satisfaction in delivering a great casino and facility and making sure it's a great experience, so I probably won't be as public as Mr. Barden," Carlin told KDKA money editor Jon Delano in an exclusive interview.
Besides the Rivers Casino, Carlin is also the CEO of the Riverwalk Casino in Vicksburg, Mississippi, and the yet-to-be-built Sugarhouse Casino in Philadelphia.
As junior partner to Chicago billionaire Neil Bluhm, Carlin runs the casino operations in the Bluhm empire.
"Neil certainly wrote the check, and Neil's involved at a very high level. He's chairman of the company," Carlin said.
Carlin wants Pittsburgh's casino to be more than just a slots casino -- he's encouraging non-gamblers to visit, especially younger people.
Delano: "Suppose you don't give a darn about slots, is there a reason to come to Rivers Casino?"
"Oh, absolutely. We've got great restaurants, great bars -- the Wheelhouse which is going to be a sports bar with live music. It's going to be a really fun place with lots of things to do for people who don't like slots," says Carlin.
The location at the edge of the Ohio River makes it a destination attraction for all.
"A lot of our food and beverage venues and bars are located along the river," Carlin adds. "We've got outdoor patio areas at our buffet, at our steakhouse. We've got great views from our drum bar – three-story atrium looking out at the river and the city of Pittsburgh."
And Carlin says the sports bar will boast something nobody else has.
"We're probably going to have the biggest TV screen in the city. We're looking at about 150 inches of -- it's multi-screen -- a really neat piece of equipment. Our audio visual budget just for that venue is about $600,000."
Now the Rivers Casino, inside, is strictly for 21-year-olds and over, but the amphitheatre, promenade, and bike trail outside along the river will be open to families of all ages.
Carlin says the casino is also building a dock for boaters to use and he hopes the Gateway Clipper will make a stop there, too.
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