Mike Ornstein loves a challenge… especially a fresh one.

The South Point director of slot marketing gains ground-floor satisfaction with an exciting project. South Point, once part of the Boyd family, launched its own identity in December 2005. Ornstein, a 12-year industry veteran at Orleans and Arizona Charlie’s, joined an executive team chosen to vie for an expanding market.

South Point extends the Strip, cornering a new section it created a few miles away. Recently opened connections to I-15 dealt the property a favorable wild card.

 “If you travel in from California, you can get off at our property and get right back on,” Ornstein says. “This is the first casino you will see before you hit the Strip. That’s a nice advantage for us in a very competitive market.

 “It’s important for us to have any kind of edge. Because we are one property now, we don’t have the buying power and leverage we did when we were part of Boyd Gaming. There are no heavy discounts when we buy things. We have to use our marketing dollars in a clear way.”

Where does the money go? Tourists are valued, but locals represent gold. The property represents this tilt by offering a movie theater, bowling alley and equestrian center to go with the standard promotions. Natives can make a night of visiting and then see everything from rodeo to mixed martial arts. The rewards program, according to Ornstein, is cutting edge.

 “We have three pieces of the Players Club that nobody has,” he says. “We have cash for points, comps for points, and we offer free play. Every dollar you spend is worth a point. Every 333 points equals dollar cash or a dollar comp.

Ornstein oozes enthusiasm over the company prospects. He likes Michael Gaughan’s informal executive structure, which removes administrative gridlock. Everyday decisions can be reached quickly and fresh ideas keep pouring in.

Innovative programs suit Ornstein. His financial management degree from UNLV encompassed numbers, bottom lines and spread sheets. Ornstein can project return rates for new promotions and then watch the process unfold. The buzz of a new opening augments the enjoyment.

 “It’s awesome to start from scratch and get everything going again,” Ornstein says. “We’re rebuilding the data base, trying to reactive customers and trying some new things. Everything is exciting. The buzz is fantastic, the same way you would feel when you walk into that new house or inside that new car.

 “This area has become Manhattan-ized in the last couple of years. We have five or six major condo time shares within a two-mile radius of our property; that’s 5,000 units and we get the first crack at capturing that customer. Our rates are very competitive, we have oversized luxury rooms, flat-screen TVs and better prices than the (traditional) Strip.”

For Ornstein, this is a chance association that mushroomed into prosperity. Through his wife, Ornstein met an Orleans executive at a barbecue while he still attended UNLV. Ornstein was offered a Monday-through-Friday job with weekends off. School was not compromised and he worked as a porter supervisor. One year later, he became an advertising manager and has stayed within that realm. Ornstein sandwiched two Orleans stints around the Arizona Charlie’s job before joining South Point. He became an authority on what drives the locals market.

Ornstein knows that the game always changes. It remains fresh. So does his outlook.

By Dave Bontempo

Casino Connection Sports Editor Dave Bontempo is an award-winning sports writer and broadcaster who calls boxing matches all over the world. He has covered the Philadelphia Flyers in the playoffs, as well as numerous PGA, LPGA and Seniors Golf Tour events, and co-hosted the Casino Connection television program with Publisher Roger Gros.

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