Charter bus provider fears new upstate New York casinos will lead to fewer bus trips

As the state's June 30 deadline approaches for developers to apply for an upstate New York casino license, executives at Wade Tours are searching for new options to save the casino tours part of their business. "Why would take a bus to a casino in Connecticut if you can drive to a casino in Albany," DeLorenzo said.

When Mohegan Sun opened in Connecticut in 1996, Wade Tours was running multiple casino buses each day. It was 30 percent of the business then. Today, casino tours to Mohegan Sun, Turning Stone and Foxwoods make up 10 percent of Wade Tours' business - a number DeLorenzo says would decrease if and when a local casino opens up.

Charter bus competitors like Yankee Trails and the opening of additional casinos have accelerated the decline in recent years. "I don't think it will significantly hurt the business because it represents such a small portion, but it is certainly not something that we want to lose either," DeLorenzo said. "We would find ways to take advantage of a local casino."

Many of the casino customers who travel with Wade Tours are repeat customers. DeLorenzo is confident that many of those customers would remain loyal to the company because they have accumulated points with casinos for free stays in casino hotels and meals.

Wade Tours services more than 600 trips per month to Boston, Florida, Mississippi and Verona, New York, where Turning Stone is located. About 30 of those buses transport 47 to 56 passengers to casinos at a cost of US$ 24 to US$ 40 apiece. That compares to driving 220 miles round-trip and paying more than US$ 55 in fuel and tolls, DeLorenzo said.