Monday, September 11, 2006

As reported by the Rocky Mountain News: "A Central City casino that had
already filed for bankruptcy shut its doors this week after a new parkway to
the gaming town failed to bring an expected increase in business. "Scarlet's
Casino had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection just months after
opening at what should have been a prime location at the entrance to the
limited-stakes gaming town. ".'It appears their worst fear that people would
drive through to Black Hawk is coming true,' said Don Burmania, a spokesman
for the Colorado Division of Gaming, which worked with Scarlet's to shut
down its operations on Tuesday morning. "Burmania said the Central City
Parkway, which was completed in Nov. 2004, helped the casino town overcome
its location. Many gamblers had been taking route 119 directly to Black Hawk
until the faster parkway route was built. In the first year after the
parkway's opening, Central City reported big gains in its gaming revenues.
".The city depends on gambling revenues because much of its budget comes
from the fees it charges casinos for each device they operate. Now it must
bank on the success of the recently opened gaming establishment developed by
Colorado Springs-based Century Casinos Inc."