Thunder Valley Casino Resort

Please tell us more about the gaming floor at the Thunder Valley Casino. Which games – or type of games – are among the most popular at your property?

Our slot floor consists of 3,500 slot and video poker machines. During the budgeting process we allocated a significant amount of capital to insure that our slot product offerings—and our gaming floor in general— are innovative and have the latest and greatest games, themes, cabinets, signage, etc. We pride ourselves on being first to market with new gaming product for both slots and table games.

Thunder Valley Casino Resort was the first to offer Face Up Pai Gow Poker, as the inventor was one of our former casino shift managers. He has since retired, but his successful game is now offered internationally, with 300 games to date in active placement in casinos. Our leadership team champions meeting with our guests, and actively asking their input and feedback as to games, and offerings they would like for us to consider in adding to our footprint.

How is the Thunder Valley Casino Resort positioned in the ongoing California sports wagering situation?

The most recent sports wagering initiative was the most expensive in the history of the county. While it did not result in approval to offer sports wagering, it in no way dampened the appetite to add this as an amenity to casinos in California. Undoubtedly it will be on a future ballot and we await the outcome of that vote.

Please tell us more about the player’s club at Thunder Valley, how it is structured, and how and where players can earn and use their benefits.

Our Thunder Valley Reward Card is our guests’ unique passport to incredible benefits and special offerings. As a Rewards member, guests earn Rewards points every time they play, to advance to higher tiers within a given qualifying period. Higher tier levels mean exclusive benefits such as invitation for free gifts, slot tournaments, drawings, and specially themed events. What’s more, guests receive five percent back in comps on all non-gaming purchases using their Rewards card throughout the property. The earned comps can be used toward ticket purchases for stellar performances in The Venue, as well as for luxurious spa treatments, award-winning dining options, hotel stays and much more. It’s essentially one card that holds unlimited enjoyment and fun for our guests.

What is new and innovative about the Thunder Valley Casino as of the second quarter of 2023? 2023 has been a history-making year to date. On the President’s Day weekend we opened The Venue with a three-day, star-studded lineup of artists, with none other than The Eagles, Bruno Mars and Carlos Santana. What a way to showcase this amazing entertainment facility! We can now offer year-round entertainment, with upcoming artists such as Jerry Seinfeld, Journey, Bill Burr and more.

Thunder Valley Casino Resort has a very wellknown poker room – please tell us more about live poker at Thunder Valley, and any special tournaments or player incentives, rewards and perks.

Our poker room has been an incredible success. It is a destination for many guests from across the country as we host events with the most well-known tours such as the World Poker Tour (WPT), World Series of Poker (WSOP) and the RunGood Poker Series. Our newly designed poker room affords us the opportunity to host live play and events in one location. The poker room was built to have the technical capability to host live streams and televised productions, such as the WPT Live Steam in April that netted over 500,000 viewers. The poker room holds the only $1,000,000 in guarantees in the region and commonly offers event series that draw over 1,000 players for each event.

Please tell us more about the hotel facilities, dining and other non-gaming attractions at the Thunder Valley Casino Resort. Our amazing AAA Four-Diamond resort offers 408 rooms and suites, a state-of-the-art, fully equipped fitness center that is open 24 hours a day, and an extensive in-room dining menu.

The Spa at Thunder Valley is a relaxing oasis. And the Coconut Pool & Bar is a perfect way to enjoy a relaxing day.

We offer a wide array of food offerings that are sure to appeal to everyone. Our AAA Four Diamond steakhouse is called High Steaks – what more perfect name could there be? Our gourmet Asian restaurant is called Red Lantern and the Thunder Café is open 24/7 with an expansive menu of items, including pizzas from our open-fire pizza oven. We also offer an array of casual dining options such as Dos Coyotes, Peet’s Coffee, Ben & Jerry’s, Panda Express, Fatburger, Subway and Pizza Hut.

From the perspective of casino operations, how do you see the California tribal-gaming market in 2023 and going into 2024?

The California tribal-gaming market is vibrant and positioned to continue to flourish as we look forward to 2024 and beyond.

Are there any other items, or news, that you’d like to share with our readers about the Thunder Valley Casino Resort? Something I may have missed asking?

As we prepare to celebrate our 20-year anniversary we are excited about what the next 20 years has in store, as we continue to add to our footprint and diversify our amenities.

Finally, in your career in gaming, and with Thunder Valley, what would you consider to be the highlights?

Having started in the gaming industry as a craps dealer in Atlantic City 40 years ago, a time when there were very few women working in the gaming pits, I never would have dreamed that I would be be working in this amazing, ever-changing and dynamic industry all these years later!

I will be forever grateful to the team members and fellow colleagues for their hard work, commitment, dedication and passion, and for being on this journey with me.

To all the leaders who willingly shared their knowledge, keen insight, words of encouragement and challenged me to embrace the ranks of leadership, I say thank you.

Most importantly, I want everyone to know that climbing the ranks in the gaming industry is achievable. Will it be an easy ascent? Absolutely not. But incredibly rewarding. I am humbled to work for a tribe that champions inclusion and diversity, and invests in their team members.

On behalf of Casino Life Magazine and Outsource Digital Media, I would like to thank you, Dawn, for your time, and for sharing this with us and our readers worldwide.

The new year saw the much-awaited opening of the Grand Bellagio Casino inside Tbilisi's fashionable, five-star Biltmore Hotel. The opening highlighted a star-studded event featuring international artists Eyal Golan and Gypsy Kings, attracting numerous VIP players from around the world. The casino sparkled with excitement as guests toasted the new year with music, dancing and gaming.

The event drew significant attention from high rollers, tourists and locals alike, and the casino provided a truly unforgettable experience. The tables and slots were full throughout the night, packed with players who had travelled from all around the world especially to visit the opening of the new casino.

Grand Bellagio Casino in Tbilisi represents the most fashionable gambling establishment, with a unique design, luxurious interior and expensive furniture. The casino is designed to cater to high-end customers who seek upscale entertainment in a sophisticated setting. The gambling area is spacious, with a wide selection of gaming tables and slot machines. The casino offers exclusive VIP rooms for those who prefer a more private and luxurious gaming experience.

We met Anthony Rerecich, general manager of the casino and asked him a few questions about his establishment.

What's the general concept of the casino? What was your target audience before you started the project? And is it still the same now as you initially planned?

The target audience has stayed the same and it's really to bring foreign players to Georgia. I think Georgia, and Tbilisi in particular, has quite a lot of attractions for foreign players. It's great, it's safe and it's something different from their home countries, like in the Middle East.

What games do you have?

We have blackjack, roulette, baccarat and all the variants of poker: Caribbean, Texas, Ultimate, threecard poker. And now we've just opened the stud poker room: just two tables at the moment but we plan another three.

What are the minimums and maximums on the tables?

Roulette starts at $5 and we go anywhere up to 2,000 flat or 1,000 progressive. For poker we have a $25 minimum. Then we have anywhere up to a maximum of $500,000 payouts. On blackjack we have $25 to $3,000 a box. We have 34 tables and three VIP rooms. As for the poker room, it's pot-limit on Omaha and no limits on Texas.

What about slot machines?

Currently we have 80 slot machines. At the moment these are EGT, Novomatic and Merkur slots, as well as electronic roulette from EGT. The selection of machines is to be expanded with the new brands during this year, including such manufacturers as IGT and Apex.

Is there anything special about the restaurant and the bar?

Yes, we've collected chefs from all over the world, including an Asian fusion restaurant, obviously with Georgian cuisine. And also we have VIP service, so our chefs will literally prepare you anything you ask for. We have an extensive menu, but as I said, if you want something that is not on the menu, our chefs are more than welcome to help you out and create the fantasy you desire. We have three bars in the casino with top-quality alcoholic beverages and cocktails, served by very experienced barmen. We also have shisha with the best possible tobacco for our VIP players.

I see there is a big stage in the casino. Do you have regular shows?

We have shows Wednesday to Sunday — dancing girls, live music and even big stars. On New Year's Eve we had Gypsy Kings, the Schooler Band, and Eyal Golan the next night. Regular lotteries and tournaments for the players are also held here, like roulette tournaments and slot tournaments. We try to mix it with a bit of humor, like a mix of old TV games, so it's a bit of nostalgia for the players but also at the same time fun. We tend to change it every month or two, so it's something different. Every time you come to the casino, you see something new.

What do you think about the competition here in Tbilisi? How would you evaluate the competitors and the competition in general?

I think it's a very competitive market. All the casinos here are fighting for the same market: Middle Eastern players, Iranian, Azerbaijanian. I have to say that it's a fair fight, as everyone likes a bit of competition. I have met the other GMs and all of them have been open to honest competition because we all understand that, by putting Georgia on the map, it helps each other. In the end we all get more players and it's a safe environment for players to come.

What do you think about the current legal base and taxation in Georgia?

The Georgian government is doing a good job. They're protecting the local general population, which I think is a good thing. I also think we're on the cusp where the license is. Honestly, I think it's approaching where it is a little bit expensive because of the increased competition. So it’s starting to affect the marketing because you have to look after your expenses if you want to make money. But I can't fault the government for wanting to protect the general population to promote gambling in a sustainable manner.

Is there a potential for growth of tourism in Georgia?

There's a huge potential for growth. You can get all four seasons in one day, so many wonderful sites, such clean nature. I would like to see the government help tourism here, like a visa-free regime for the Indians, for example. I know it's currently not available but I see a huge Indian potential. I would promote Chinese tourism as well. One of the limits also is the number of direct flights from other countries. This is a good point you bring up, because I've spoken to several airlines from the Middle East and they are interested in increasing the number of flights per day, especially during the season. Currently we have a problem with the flights from Kuwait. So it's obviously growing. Batumi is growing very much and the flights are virtually booked out during summer. I think the local authorities have to push infrastructure to allow more flights.

You just mentioned Batumi. The number of casinos there is growing. It is 12 casinos now with another 10 or so to open within the next couple of years. Isn’t it too much?

In every market you see an evolution of casinos. I've seen it so many times. And you're going to see that casinos will get better and better through time. So say you have 20 casinos, and imagine four, maybe even six casinos wouldn't be able to compete and they will drop out. But you will see a replacement with a newer product, a bigger product, a better product as the evolution continues. Unfortunately, the infrastructure needs to be improved to keep up with this development. Three years, five years down the track, this is where the potential is in Batumi.

You personally have been working in many markets before and you have a long history of managing casinos around the world. What's your personal view of the local market? How do you personally feel here? Is it comfortable for you to work in Georgia?

I actually love Georgia. It was one of the bestkept secrets in the world when I came here. I love it. It's fantastic. Tbilisi is a small city compared to what I'm used to but it's growing and the casino business is thriving. It is a safe jurisdiction to work in. So you've got the best of all the worlds here in that you are able to create a sustainable and, at the same time, safe business. Everyone makes money. We're providing taxes and employment for Georgia itself. And of course, Georgian food is fantastic.