By Bill O’Driscoll, Reno Gazette-Journal

The Peppermill and Atlantis resorts, competing anchors on south Reno’s gaming front, have united in the battle for Northern California’s drive-up market.

Their billboards across Sacramento-region highways brag about Reno’s “Loosest Slots in the USA” designation, awarded last year by Casino Player magazine.

The mission is two-pronged, say the resorts: Tell motorists there’s value in making the trek over the Sierra and, in the same glance, show the Peppermill and Atlantis names and their hotel profiles against a mountain backdrop.

Whether it has worked since the billboards went up last summer, officials say, is hard to quantify. They insist the $310,000 investment by Reno’s top two hotel-casinos as measured in taxable value is more an image booster for the region’s struggling gaming sector.

“There’s no specific call to action, so it’s difficult to measure results,” said Kimberlee Tolkien, executive director of administration at the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa. “It’s designed to send the message that your best gaming experience is Reno with the loosest slots.”

But it’s also clear the properties, which together have spent more than $500 million on expansion in recent years and focus much of their attention on the local market, see a way to tap out-of-area gamblers to south Reno.

“It’s nothing different than what downtown does,” Tolkien said. “It’s getting a message that there’s more to Reno than downtown. Visitors don’t necessarily have a clear picture of what’s available. There’s a lot more in Reno than just downtown.

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