Rising Star in Casino
John Cirrincione, general manager of Santa Ana Star Casino, explains why his resort is the best bet in New Mexico
By Rob Wiser
The results of our research showed that Santa Ana Star’s slots are even looser, and pay out more money to players, than its executives realized. But don’t worry, this didn’t cause them to tighten their games. Instead, they want to get the word out
Santa Ana Star Casino is a Native American casino on the Peublo of Santa Ana in Bernalillo, New Mexico. The resort, which is situated on 73,000 acres of reservation land in the Rio Grande Valley, was founded by the Tamaya at the Pueblo of Santa Ana Pueblo and opened in 1993.
Since then, “The Star” has built up a devoted following among local players, partly due to the fact that its slots seemed to pay out more than any other casino in the area. The property was always proud of its loose slots, and recently they decided to make it official—they reached out to Casino Player (and our sister publication, Strictly Slots) to conduct some independent, third party search on their machines to see just how loose they actually are.
The results of our research showed that Santa Ana Star’s slots are even looser, and pay out more money to players, than its executives realized. But don’t worry, this didn’t cause them to tighten their games. Instead, they want to get the word out and let players know that their slots are indeed the loosest in New Mexico—and between their upcoming promotions and giveaways, and enhancements to their Star Rewards players club, the benefits for players are only getting greater.
To learn more about this, Casino Player spoke with John Cirrincione, general manager of Santa Ana Star Casino. Cirrincione, who recently celebrated his first year in his current position, has 27 years of casino resort experience. Prior to joining Santa Ana Star, he held executive positions with other tribal gaming resorts in California, Oklahoma, Arizona and Reno, Nevada.
John, tell us about the process of getting certified for your loose slots. How did this come about, and how was the “looseness” of your slots verified?
In evaluating what the strengths of Santa Ana Star Casino were versus our competitors, we reflexively said that it was our slots. We had confidence that our machines were the loosest in the state. But with no published statistics on hold percentages here in New Mexico, we had to rely on the customers continually telling us they win more and play longer at the Star. Having Strictly Slots and Casino Player validate this, as an independent third party, serves to confirm what we have always known.
We wanted to get independent, third party research to corroborate our belief that there were no looser slots in the state, so we contacted your magazines to validate the hold percentages. Who better than them? As it turned out, our machines are even looser, and pay out much better, than we thought. Truth is, Santa Ana Star has the loosest slots in New Mexico. Now it’s confirmed.
How loose are your slots, exactly? And can you give us some other details about your slot floor?
New Mexico gaming regulations prohibit us from publishing our hold percentages, but I can tell you we pride ourselves on being the loosest in the state. This is based on independent research and testing, and backed by the extensive experience of our executive team. We also found that Santa Ana Star slot machines were at the very top of the list for the loosest slots when compared to all other casinos across the country.
When we say that we’re “New Mexico’s Best Bet,” it’s more than just an advertising slogan; it’s based on the idea that the more time a gamer spends on a device here, the more value they see for their dollar. The looser the slots, the longer you play and the more fun you have. A true gamer is looking for the opportunity to spend the most time playing his or her favorite machine. We want to make sure that when they visit the Star, our guests feel they got the most for their dollar. We offer a wide variety of games, ranging from video poker to progressive slot machines, in denominations that appeal to every level of gamer.
Where do your customers generally come from, and how is your property positioned in its marketplace?
Santa Ana Star Casino opened in 1993 and was the first casino to open its doors in New Mexico, shortly after the state legalized Indian gaming. We’re located just off I-25, ten miles north of Albuquerque and not too far south of Santa Fe. Santa Ana Star has been known as “the locals casino” for quite some time and owns up to its reputation for having the best gaming odds, and the friendliest staff.
Our market is unique in that there are many more slot machines per capita than pretty much anywhere else in the country. In addition, our players are known for having very discriminating tastes when it comes to gaming value. Our competitors have spent hundreds of millions of dollars to try to attract the big dollar “out of towners,” while we at the Star have really focused our attention on those closest to home. And while the Star offers the best gamble for your dollar, we also offer entertainment, dining and snacking options; a bowling center that has been voted as the “Best of the City” for the past five years; two world class golf courses, Twin Warriors and Santa Ana; and the only five-star resort in New Mexico, the Hyatt Tamaya.
As we move forward, we’re excited to enhance our current offerings, redefine entertainment, and refocus our promotions. We’re committed to providing our guests with a fun and friendly experience every time they visit the Star.
Tell us about your Star Rewards Club. What kind of benefits does it give members?
At The Star, we believe in rewarding our loyal players. Being a member of our Star Rewards Club offers players perks and amenities throughout the property, and even extends to our Pueblo partners. Exciting enhancements are on the horizon—shortly after 2012 begins, we will be rolling out a refreshed and revived Star Rewards Players Club program. The new program will provide more benefits, more fun and more rewards focused on getting people to play with their cards. More card-in play will lead to more precisely focused promotions, loyalty rewards, and exciting opportunities not being offered by any other casino in the market.
Can you tell us about any upcoming events or promotions that players will want to know about?
Players will continue to see exciting new offerings, property improvements and increased rewards at The Star in 2012. One example is our New Year’s Weekend Celebration. Guests will be invited to join us for a full weekend of fun and entertainment. Friday and Saturday will include complimentary performances from Tobias Renee and El Gringo. From a gaming aspect, we will be running $100 Hot Seats and a Free Slot Tournament. On Sunday, January 1, we’ll give away a brand new 2012 Ford Explorer from Don Chalmers Ford in Rio Rancho, to wrap up our Explore 2012 promotion. This exciting and jam-packed weekend will help to kick off 2012 as we move into an exciting time at The Star.
For more information on Santa Ana Star Casino and details on their upcoming promotions and events, visit www.santaanastar.com.
Rising Star in Casino.
