Private bus service set for casino
BY ROGER DUPUIS II
STAFF WRITER
11/28/2006
PLAINS TOWNSHIP — Privately operated bus service between Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs and several pick-up points in Northeastern Pennsylvania could begin as early as next week.
Plans call for service to the slots parlor from Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Hazleton and Allentown, though schedules, fares and departure points are still under review, said Jim Wise, Mohegan Sun’s vice president of marketing.
More details should be available in the next few days, he added.
Known as “line run” service, the trips, operated by outside companies, will ferry passengers between fixed points — possibly malls or shopping centers — to the casino during off-peak times.
So far, Mohegan Sun has taken a cautious approach to bus service, with officials keen to avoid overcrowding.
“We’re taking baby steps,” he said. “We want to protect the experience of people coming here.”
To start, the daily runs likely will be limited to morning trips. Busy times, like Friday evenings and Saturdays, are strictly off-limits.
So far, inquiries have come in from as many as 300 bus operators. For that reason, Mohegan Sun also has been holding off on allowing tour groups to bring buses in until after Jan. 1.
The daily local trips may or may not include incentives for passengers, such as gaming or food vouchers, but such perks are strictly in the hands of private operators, who work independently, not for the casino. Perks are commonly offered on bus trips to Atlantic City and other casino towns.
Once they start running, the private operators won’t be the first bus companies offering service to the casino. Luzerne County Transportation Authority offers daily trips to Mohegan Sun on their No. 5 Parsons route, and special Saturday service from Public Square, and from Mountain Top and parts of Pittston, Dupont and Avoca.
Not so with Lackawanna County’s public bus operator.
“As of right now, I don’t think we have plans to do that,” County of Lackawanna Transit System Development Director Kurt Kempter said. |
World Casino Directory 
Gambling Forums 
