Ron Lurie, general manager of Arizona Charlie's Decatur, talks to Isobel Tanner while she plays Hot Hot Super Jackpot slots. Photo by Jeff Scheid. Rose Mary Chapin plays bingo at Arizona Charlie's Decatur. Photo by Jeff Scheid. Ingrid Strum plays pai gow poker at the Rampart Casino. Photo by Clint Karlsen. Customers stroll through Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World at the Silverton. The casino is at Interstate 15 and Blue Diamond Road. A Silverton official says the opening of the South Coast on the other side of Interstate 15 has resulted in more traffic at his casino. Photo by Isaac Brekken.

Apparently, size doesn't matter.

Wall Street casino analysts had predicted that the introduction of two large resorts into Las Vegas' residents-oriented gaming market during the past six months -- an investment of more than $1.5 billion -- might spell doom for the smaller, older competition.

The undertakers, however, have been kept at bay.

December's opening of the $600 million South Coast and April's unveiling of the $925 million Red Rock Resort brought new customers into what had previously been underserved markets, observers noted.

Meanwhile, the established competition appears to have held its own.

"Every time a new casino opens, they think we're in trouble," said Arizona Charlie's Decatur General Manager Ron Lurie. The small hotel-casino, operated by the same company that owns the Stratosphere, is located in an older part of western Las Vegas. It sits about eight miles from Red Rock Resort, which is located in the middle of Summerlin.

"Even when the Rampart Casino opened (seven years ago) and the Suncoast opened (in 2000), a lot of people thought we would lose business. We haven't, and in fact, our business is doing very well," Lurie said.

To the west, gaming pundits figured the Rampart Casino, at the edge of Summerlin, would be one of the casinos hurt by Red Rock Resort, which is owned by Station Casinos. The 50,000-square-foot Rampart draws from much of the same customer base as its larger and newer neighbor.

But while Rampart customers may have checked out Summerlin's swankiest casino, they came back.

"We always knew our customers would go over to Red Rock, look at it and see if they liked it," said Rampart General Manager Sal Semola. "But we put programs in place to keep our customers. What they like about the Rampart, our size and service, is why they keep returning."

The statewide gaming win report for May, compiled by Nevada casino regulators, seems to support that belief.

Clark County casinos listed in the "balance of the county" segment, which includes Red Rock Resort and South Coast, saw gaming revenue of $119.6 million, 27 percent above the May 2005 figure of $94 million. In April, which included just 12 days of results from Red Rock, the gaming win was $94.1 million, a 19.7 percent increase over $78.6 million in April 2005.

"What we're generally seeing is that Red Rock and South Coast are driving new growth into the market," said Matthew Jacob, gaming analyst for Majestic Research.

He thought that in Red Rock's first few months of operation, the opening hype surrounding it would attract customers from all ends of the Las Vegas Valley.

"I speak to casino customers a lot, and I think everyone in the city has been to Red Rock since it opened," Jacob said. "It's a natural feeling in the market that people want to try the new kid in town."

He also thought it was clear Red Rock was taking business away from other Station Casinos properties, such as Palace Station, Texas Station and Fiesta Rancho.

"I think there is some overlap in that area in drawing customers," Jacob said.

Deutsche Bank gaming analyst Bill Lerner said many Wall Street firms will carve up the Gaming Control Board's data to try to obtain a more detailed look at individual casino gaming win. Any way the figures are viewed, Lerner said, they show that revenues earned by residential casinos are increasing.

"There has been some market share shift, but the locals market has grown, and we think that trend will continue," Lerner said.

The South Coast helped bring the locals market farther south.

Opened by Boyd Gaming Corp. at the far southern end of Las Vegas Boulevard, the casino brought competition to the doorstep of the Silverton, located on the opposite side of Interstate 15 on Blue Diamond Road.

Last week, Boyd Gaming announced it plans to sell the South Coast to former Coast Casinos Chairman Michael Gaughan.

Both the Silverton and South Coast were viewed as going after similar customers from the nearby housing communities of Rhodes Ranch, Silverado Ranch and Southern Highlands. Because of their freeway locations, however, the casinos were expected to also cater to the tourist market.

Silverton President Craig Cavileer said there is room in the neighborhood for both properties.

"The market is there for all of us and the South Coast," Cavileer said. "We used to be the only thing south of Mandalay Bay, so having another property with almost 1,400 rooms helps bring our end of the market some legitimacy."

Getting the tourist crowd from Interstate 15 has been a challenge, however. The delayed Silverado Ranch Road interchange next to the South Coast is expected to be completed nine to 12 months after construction begins within the next few weeks, according to Clark County Public Works.

Entry to the Silverton has been hindered by construction of a new interchange at Blue Diamond Road that is expected to be completed in October.

"Access from I-15 has been a big factor in hindering some of the South Coast's performance," Lerner said. "That will be a problem until the issue is resolved."

Cavileer said the residential market on the south end of town continues to expand, which means more potential customers for both Silverton and South Coast.

"The locals business is all about rooftops," Cavileer said. "The more residents we see come to the area, the more our dynamic will change."

Operators of the older casinos said the size of the competition is a plus -- for the smaller properties.

The South Coast has 1,350 rooms, an 80,000-square-foot casino and six full-service restaurants. Red Rock Resort has 415 rooms, with 435 more rooms opening by February, to complement an 87,000-square-foot casino. Red Rock also has nine restaurants and a food court.

"Red Rock is beautiful," Semola said. "Heck, they spent almost a billion dollars to build it. But for some of our customers, it's just too big."

The newer resorts contain amenities to attract the masses, such as movie cinemas. South Coast opened with a 64-lane bowling center and Red Rock Resort has broken ground on its own 72-lane bowling complex, expected to open early next year.

Lurie said customers of Arizona Charlie's -- which began its existence as the Charleston Heights bowling center -- don't want those type of family-style amenities. Service, convenience and value dominate their interests. He estimated that the average age of the Arizona Charlie's crowd hovers around 50, with the casino pulling from the older neighborhoods that surround the casino.

"We do focus groups all the time with our customers," said Lurie, who has been Arizona Charlie's general manager since 1990. "We've built relationships with our customers. We know their likes and dislikes and we're a familiar place. If I changed the menu in the buffet, I'd have about a hundred phone calls. Value is important."

Arizona Charlie's has undergone several upgrades. Lurie said the next remodel will turn the Yukon Grill restaurant into a branch of the Outback Steakhouse chain.

Pamela Moore, an Arizona Charlie's cocktail server, is one of a handful of the casino's 800 employees who have been at the property since it opened in 1988. She said it has the feel of a true locals establishment.

"We know all our regular customers personally," Moore said. "We celebrate with them and we watch after them. The place really does have a family environment."

Connie Rampton said she's been coming to Arizona Charlie's since it was just a bowling center on Decatur Boulevard. She went to Red Rock Resort a few times, but came back because of familiarity.

"I've been to a lot of places, but this is the most comfortable. Why change?" she said.

The same feelings exist at Rampart.

Semola, the Rampart's general manager for two years, said the casino has many customers and employees who have been coming since it opened as the Resort at Summerlin. The hotel is now operated separately by Marriott Corp. as a JW Marriott.

"It really comes down to value and customer service," Semola said. "We know our customers' habits. We keep the property fresh and updated and we cater to their needs and interests."

That formula has worked with Ingrid Sturm. An 11-year resident of Summerlin, she's been coming to Rampart since day one. She still enjoys a stint at the pai gow poker tables several times a week.

Red Rock Resort, Sturm said, was nice to visit, but the Rampart fits her lifestyle.

"Red Rock is beautiful, but it's big," Sturm said. "After seven years, I just feel more comfortable here."

Las Vegas resident Bill Ellis is a casino customer who gambles at both the Rampart and Red Rock Resort. He used to travel across the valley to eat at Hank's at Green Valley Ranch Resort, but switched his allegiance for steak to T-bones at Red Rock Resort.

But for playing the slots, he enjoys the customer service at Rampart.

"I like to try all the different casinos," Ellis said as he was collecting a large jackpot payout from a Rampart slot attendant. "The restaurants are a little bit better at the Red Rock, so I play here and eat over there."

Jacob said casino customers always flock to newer places initially.

"Red Rock is superbly located and is probably one of the city's nicest casinos," Jacob said. "But people have their preferences and habits. They won't change if they have a favorite place."

Jacob and Lerner agreed that Red Rock Resort has taken some market share from the Suncoast, an assumption confirmed last week by Boyd Gaming during the company's quarterly earnings conference call.

"Suncoast was, really, where we expected it to be during the opening phase of a new competitor in that area," Boyd Gaming Chief Financial Officer Paul Chakmak said. "Adjusted (cash flow) was down just over 20 percent on net revenues that declined about half as much. We are working on narrowing that gap given the new competitive environment."

On the south side of town, Silverton officials believe the South Coast has brought customers to its property. The Silverton is connected to a 170,000 square-foot Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World. Cavileer said the store attracts customers from throughout the Las Vegas Valley, as well as tourists from other Strip properties.

South Coast visitors, he said, many who are at the resort because of events in the casino's 4,400-seat equestrian center, have made their way over to the Silverton because of Bass.

"Most visitors to Las Vegas will check out more than one property," Cavileer said.