Harrah’s ends deal with Comedy Spot

Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino Resort has recently canceled its partnership with the Comedy Spot, bringing an end to a nearly one-year relationship that brought acts such as Gilbert Gottfried and Hal Sparks to the Maricopa area.

“The economy is just hitting casinos hard and they don’t have enough money for entertainment,” said Comedy Spot owner Sean Dillon.

Dillon said he has recently seen a similar partnership with the Cliff Castle Casino come to an end but attendance at his Comedy Spot location in Scottsdale is up.

Despite Dillon’s claim, Harrah’s spokeswoman Holly O’Brien said the reason the casino canceled the partnership was a lack of attendance.

“We tried moving the days of the show on three occasions, but it never seemed to draw in that many people,” O’Brien said. “People will tell you what they want by the turnout, and the people showed us they didn’t want a comedy club at Harrah’s.”

Many of the Comedy Spot shows charged $20 a person, but O’Brien said the casino will continue to bring in entertainment acts that are free to its customers, including a recent performance by jazz musician Chuck Mangione and the creation of a new party pit – a card area in with dealers that dress like the popular iCandy dancers and focus on entertaining.

“We hope these new items are successful,” O’Brien said.

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