The Challenge
Harrah's New Orleans Casino was burdened with almost 50% taxation and severe restrictions on its ability to operate hotels and restaurants. Harrah's realized that without a reduction in taxes and an easing of restrictions it would be forced to close its doors. With only one year of tax payments guaranteed, the clock was ticking. Harrah's turned to APCO for help. APCO conducted research and quickly established that Harrah's was misunderstood and mistrusted by the community and had little or no support from the state legislature and local media. There was no recognition of the economic importance of the casino and no organized constituency to lend support.
The Solution
APCO's campaign moved the debate from gaming to the importance of the jobs the casino created within the community. We created a grassroots education program to empower the casino's employees, their families and casino vendors to fight for local jobs. The core campaign message was '3,000 jobs for 3,000 families'. Most of those involved had never been politically active but, by the end of the campaign, they had sent over 30,000 letters and made more than 7,000 calls to elected officials, and hundreds had rallied at the state legislature. We also engaged allies able to gain the attention of, and influence, local elected officials.
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The Result
Within twelve months, Harrah's got the reprise it needed when the state legislature passed a bill reducing the casino's tax rate by 50% and easing restrictions on hotels, restaurants and retail. Even politicians who had previously spoken out against the casino used the campaign's core message during the debate and committee stage, and it appeared in all the media coverage. The bill allowed the casino to keep its doors open and saved one of the state's largest employers.
Services Provided
- Coalition building
- Community affairs & strategic philanthropy
- Creative services
- Government relations
- Internal communication
- Issue management
- Media relations
- Online communication
- Opinion research
- Positioning
View all APCO services
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APCO empowered our employees and their families to fight for their jobs and the survival of our casino. Their work gave us the opportunity to become a viable business.
