Business: Wild Rose Jefferson produces record donations for non profit

Special To Jefferson Herald

Wild Rose Casino & Hotel set new records for gaming revenue so far in 2021, which is resulting in record payments to the non-profit associated with it, Grow Greene County Gaming Corp.

Grow Greene County is the qualified sponsor organization that distributes gaming proceeds to charities and local governments.  

“When the casino does well so does Greene County and our local communities,” said Norm Fandel, president of Grow Greene County. “This record-breaking activity translates into record receipts for us to seed new projects and invest in education, culture, recreation, public safety and economic development.”

From its opening in 2015, Wild Rose Jefferson has paid nearly $9 million to Grow Greene County and another $5 million in property taxes and direct gaming payments to Greene County and the city of Jefferson. During the first eight months of 2021, Grow Greene has received $1.2 million, which is on track to set a new record for annual revenues.   

“Wild Rose Jefferson has performed beyond expectation this year,” said Tom Timmons, president of Wild Rose. “Setting multiple monthly records would be stunning in ‘normal’ times but add to that being closed for 75 days in 2020 and this becomes truly extraordinary.”
“Our employees are key to this performance.,” Timmons noted. “We couldn’t have done this without them, and we thank them for working hard to make Wild Rose Jefferson a welcoming, engaging place.”

INCREASED TRAFFIC, MORE GUESTS

Wild Rose Jefferson’s success stemmed from gains in customer traffic and new members as well as a data-driven marketing strategy. While sports betting creates buzz for guests and players, new player club members travel to the casino to join.

“One of the industry’s biggest challenges over the past couple of years is appealing to new demographics. We have seen our average age decline from more than 65 to 60,” said Travis Dvorak, general manager of Wild Rose Jefferson.  

In addition, the average age of new Wild Rose Jefferson members is 52.
In response to the pandemic, concerts and events had been limited and postponed from March 2020 through mid-summer 2021.

“We cautiously brought back live music this summer including hosting a free concert earlier this month to thank the community and our guests their support,” Dvorak added. “We’re continuing to identify ways to provide live entertainment and engage our guests.”

Wild Rose has attracted more than 2.5 million people since opening in July of 2015 with guests from all 50 states and 27 countries.