Rivers Casino Philadelphia is under new leadership. The Pennsylvania casino promoted Eric Althaus to take over as general manager, replacing Justin Moore after two years.
Althaus has a wealth of industry experience as he heads one of the top grossing PA casinos in retail table games.
Rivers Casino Philadelphia has a number of new projects looming and recently brought back indoor smoking. They’ve also undergone lots of turnover at the general manager position since 2018.
Eric Althaus experience in the casino industry
Rivers Casino Philadelphia’s announcement of Althaus’ hiring comes roughly two months after Moore announced his departure.
Althaus served as Vice President of Gaming at Rivers Casino Philadelphia, overseeing all gaming operations since April 2022. Althaus began his career as a table games dealer and supervisor in several midwest casinos in the early 1990s.
Most recently, Althaus was President and General Manager of Mardi Gras Casino & Resort in West Virginia and previously served as Vice President General Manager of Gun Lake Casino in Michigan.
“Eric’s leadership and familiarity with Rivers Casino Philadelphia will allow for a seamless transition and continuity with key initiatives,” said Tim Drehkoff, CEO of Rush Street Gaming. “Our entire Rivers Casino Philly team has been doing a terrific job. We’re looking forward to the upcoming unveiling of the much-anticipated Martorano’s Prime, along with other exciting projects in 2023.”
Recent turnover of general managers at Rivers Casino Philadelphia
Rivers Casino Philadelphia has undergone its share of leadership changes since opening in 2010. Althaus is the sixth general manager of the casino since just 2018.
Other recent general managers include:
- Justin Moore
- Eric Fitzgerald
- Rob Long
- Cheryl Duhon
- Wendy Hamilton
Upcoming projects at Rivers Philadelphia
In the announcement, Drehkoff noted the much-anticipated debut of Martorano’s Prime and a new Dunkin’ Donuts to be opened at the casino soon. The press release also noted “several other dining options are on the horizon as well.”
Moore said in February that Rivers Casino Philadelphia was close to announcing an opening date for the popular Italian-American steakhouse, but it hasn’t happened yet. Perhaps when Althaus gets settled an announcement will come.
Steve Martorano is a South Philadelphia native and a celebrity chef. Martorano has restaurants in Atlantic City, Las Vegas and Ft. Lauderdale. It would be Martorano’s first restaurant in his home city.
Some of the menu items include:
- 16 oz. New York Prime steak
- Linguine and clams
- Bucatini carbonara
- Meatballs with Sunday gravy
- Spicy penne vodka
- Veal chop parmesan
- Filet Sinatra
- Lobster francaise
Rivers Casino Philadelphia recent slot and table games revenue
Althaus inherits a casino with strong table games revenue. Rivers Casino Philadelphia generated $98.2 million in revenue in 2022, which ranked fourth among PA casinos. Wind Creek Bethlehem, Parx Casino and Live! Casino Philadelphia each finished ahead of Rivers.
Althaus was instrumental in launching Rivers Casino Philadelphia’s Pulse Arena, which immensely helps table games revenue. The technology allows players to game and bet using a touch-screen at their own terminal, while live dealers lead the action. Pulse Arena consists of a 34-seat stadium configuration and is the first of its kind at any PA casino.
Althaus commented to PAOnlineCasino in January:
“Pulse Arena allows guests to play, socialize and migrate their entertainment experience onto the casino floor, in a unique fashion. It’s a fun setting that will attract both new and existing players.”
Rivers Casino Philadelphia recorded $118.4 million in slot revenue in 2022, which placed them 10th among PA casinos.
Smoking update at Rivers Philadelphia
Rivers Casino Philadelphia is the latest casino to return to smoking. As Mount Airy brought smoking back in August 2022, Parx in Bensalem and Shippensburg are the only PA casinos that have done the opposite and banned indoor smoking.
Approximately 50% of the gaming floor is designated for smoking in the casino. Moore noted this reason to PlayPennsylvania for bringing it back in January:
“This is a final step in our process to return the property to pre-COVID operations.”
It’s unlikely anything changes under Althaus.
