For the second month in a row, the numbers coming out of Saracen Casino Resort are cause for Carlton Saffa to crow a bit as the doubters eat some of the same bird.
The casino opened its big location in mid-October, and for December the traffic has been good.
"What I am proud of is really pretty simple," said Saffa, chief marketing officer for the casino. "When the project was proposed, many people that we have a lot of respect for said it was not going to work in Pine Bluff. And they're eating crow right now. This has been a success. We have proven the naysayers wrong."
The casino's annex opened in October 2019 and was an immediate success, with people standing in line to get to a slot machine on many occasions. But the grown-up casino, with slots and table games and restaurants -- the one that will eventually be attached to a multistory hotel -- opened amid a pandemic that has kept numbers and expectations down.
But even at that, Saffa said the casino is "safely busy" in terms of customer traffic, meaning that there are enough people coming in to make the bottom line "revenue-positive." Consequently, Quapaw Nation executives are optimistic that when the pandemic abates, "the sky's the limit," Saffa said.
Specifically, Saracen made $7.28 million from the main part of its gambling offerings, such as slot machines, and another $945,000 from its table games, such as blackjack, craps and roulette. That compares with $7.22 million and $605,000 made on those two gambling segments, respectively, by Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort in Hot Springs.
Saffa was careful not to sound braggy when it came to comparing Saracen's numbers to Oaklawn's because he said he is friends with the Oaklawn management and has the utmost respect for them and their operation. But he said if Saracen is besting the more-established Oaklawn, it must mean Saracen is doing a lot of things right.
"We don't have all of the amenities yet," Saffa said. "And we are still building our brand. So our numbers are something that I'm extremely proud of."
The casino, he said, has been good for all concerned. There are 800 to 900 people on the payroll, he said. "And no matter where you work or what you do, you have great health benefits," he said.
Employees have access to pre-taxed benefits, including a 401(k)plan.
"I am enough of a nerd to be delighted to have that conversation with a 25-year-old and describe these opportunities that many folks have never had," Saffa said.
Saffa is most pleased with the table games at the casino. He said different casinos have the very same slot machines, but where a casino can put distance between itself and its competitors is in games where there is a dealer or someone running the game. He said that person becomes the face of the casino as they operate their table, and training that person to be personable and efficient is key.
Some casinos, he said, tell prospective dealers to come back and apply after they have completed dealer school, which can cost individuals $15,000. Saracen, on the other hand, trains its own dealers. One person in the front office, he said, had always wanted to try dealing. She went through dealer school and now works as one.
And because Saracen has a liberal policy on dealers keeping their tips, trained dealers from other casinos, including those in Las Vegas, are now working in Pine Bluff, he said. That's not surprising, he said, because good dealers can make six figures.
"My hat is off to David Schwartz, director of table games," Saffa said. "He has done a tremendous job." Schwartz was hired away from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Saffa said.
The casino revenue, which is taxed, has also been good for the city of Pine Bluff, Jefferson County and the state of Arkansas, Saffa said.
And it's been good for the Quapaw Nation, he said, describing how the tribe was "shamefully booted off" its land and how it has now reestablished itself in the same place.
"They came back with a great business that has been successful for the tribe," Saffa said. "Not many tribes have stepped into the commercial environment. But this is working in Pine Bluff and it's working well."
