Gambling Directory

Regis Philbin Awards Mystery Money Prizes to Traverse Bay Entertainment Players

18/01/2003

PESHAWBESTOWN, MI -Regis Philbin, host of Traverse Bay Entertainment's Mystery Money Finale Party on Saturday, January 18, kept the audience of 262 top players in good spirits as he awarded the final prizes that evening. The event, held in the Sands Showr

PESHAWBESTOWN, MI -Regis Philbin, host of Traverse Bay Entertainment's Mystery Money Finale Party on Saturday, January 18, kept the audience of 262 top players in good spirits as he awarded the final prizes that evening. The event, held in the Sands Showroom at Leelanau Sands Casino in Peshawbestown, just north of Traverse City, was the culmination for the casino promotion, which awarded over four million dollars between March and December, 2002.

After addressing the audience during a question and answer forum about his television show and personal life, Philbin began the "game show" with co-host Chris Bussey, Vice President of West Bay Operations for Traverse Bay Entertainment.

The 262 finalists were narrowed to 50 by drawings from the entry forms allocated per player over the course of the 10 month promotion. A spin on the Prize Wheel then eliminated players down to the top 10 contestants, who took the stage alongside Regis where he bantered with each finalist. The contestants each chose a piece of luggage that contained either $2,500.00 or the chance to compete as one of the top three finalists: ultimately Roy D. Nichols of Cadillac was awarded $10,000.00, Lewis E. Wolters of Suttons Bay, $25,000.00 and James M. Merritt of Cadillac, $100,000.00.

During media interviews backstage following the event, the winners admitted that half of the excitement that evening was meeting Philbin in person, and his exhuberant on-stage personality throughout the Finale. "What a perfect night," remarked Merritt. "I'm still amazed that I not only won all that money, but the Regis handed it to me!" And that, was his final answer.

Located in the northwest corner of Michigan's lower peninsula, Traverse Bay Entertainment includes Leelanau Sands Casino, Double Eagle Restaurant, The Lodge, 1,000 seat Sands Showroom, Eagle's Ridge Conference Center on the west side of Traverse City, and Turtle Creek Casino, Misheekeh Restaurant, and Creek Side Caf? on the east side of Traverse City. Traverse Bay Entertainment is owned and operated by the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians.

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