Palace East Welcomes Guests From Asia

The Hoi Gong ceremony and traditional Chinese lion dance imparted good luck to a new $15 million Asian-themed gaming room at Caesars Atlantic City - the latest attraction in the casino industry's campaign to lure affluent Asian gamblers. The festive ceremony took place on the floor of the Atlantic City casino

There are slot machines, but most of the games cater to the preferences of Asian gamblers, including baccarat, mini-baccarat, Pai Gow tiles and Pai Gow.

Palace East is the most expensive Asian gaming room in Atlantic City and raises the bar in the fierce competition for well-heeled Asians. Casinos have been building new Asian gaming rooms in the past two years to tap Asian-rich markets in New York, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and New Jersey.

Altogether, there are 22 table games manned by dealers who speak various Asian languages. Nowhere do the games include the number four or any of its variations.

"In Chinese, we say that the number four is death," explained Paul Liu, vice president of Asian marketing for Caesars. "Anything with number four in it is considered bad luck, even in the hotel. If you give an Asian guest a hotel room with four in it, they don't like it."

"We highly value our Asian players," Dan Nita, senior vice president and general manager of Caesars, said. "The Palace East is a demonstration of our dedication in providing them with a great gaming experience."

Asians are renowned for their zest for gambling. Overseas, the Chinese-controlled peninsula of Macau near Hong Kong has become the world's hottest gambling market, eclipsing even Las Vegas in casino revenue.