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Charter service from Fayetteville, N.C., airport to casinos proves popular(Fayetteville Observer, The (Fayetteville, NC) (KRT) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Oct. 1--FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. -- For years, Anna Greene caught direct flights from Fayetteville to Bay St. Louis, Miss., and Atlantic City, N.J. She didn't fly on Fayetteville's major carriers. Neither flies directly to the cities. Instead, Greene took gambling junkets sold by Master's Travel. Greene and hundreds like her have flown on gambling junkets out of the Fayetteville Regional Airport. Most of the time, the chartered planes seated 120, larger than the commercial passenger aircraft that regularly serve the airport. The major carriers are just now catching up. Delta Air Lines will add a 142-seat plane on Nov. 1. A week later, Allegiant Air will make direct flights to Orlando, Fla., using the same kind of jet Delta will be flying. Allegiant will sell tourism packages that are similar to the gambling junkets. Outside of long lines, the junkets bring little to the airport, said Brad Whited, airport director. The operators pay the airport about $500 for each trip. "It's not that big of a money maker," Whited said. Ticketing and baggage for the junkets are handled by US Airways, one of the airport's two commercial carriers, Whited said. On Oct. 6, Anna Greene will drop off her bags at the US Airways counter. She's flying to Atlantic City. Greene has flown the junkets for about 20 years, long enough to get free flights and gifts, she said. "The only thing I need is money to gamble." Greene plays the slot machines, and her favorite game is Wheel of Fortune, she said. "It's a day and a half away from Fayetteville," she said. "It's just like being in a different world when you go to a casino." Greene usually leaves with souvenirs, she said. Sometimes, she also leaves with some extra cash. On one run, Greene won about $12,000, she said. Greene doesn't play with any good-luck charms, she said. Instead, she tries to find the machines that are ready to pay. "I've gone to the dollar machine and hit $400 the first pull," she said. But if all of the machines are losing, then Greene takes it easy the rest of the night. There's always a next time to win big. Greene's junket, provided by Master's Travel, isn't the only game in town. M.G. Bobbitt Travel of Durham has flown junkets out of Fayetteville for 18 years, said its owner, M.G. Bobbitt. The company now has 35,000 customers in the Carolinas. Bobbitt has served Fayetteville for so long, he has a room at the Holiday Inn Bordeaux named after him. Bobbitt flies to Atlantic City, where his customers play at Harrah's. Greene and the other customers at Master's Travel play at the Trump Marina Casino, said Don Hawks, the owner of Master's Travel in Greensboro. Hawks' line of work is rough, he said. Business stopped after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Four years later, Hurricane Katrina devastated Master's Travel. At the time, Hawks flew solely to Mississippi. The casinos closed, and Hawks switched his operations to Atlantic City. Hawks signed a new contract with a casino and paid thousands of dollars for a new license. "We had to start all over," he said. Even without hurricanes, the junket business is tough, Hawks said. When his plane leaves Fayetteville, Hawks is already in the hole. The $159 he charges for the trips is not enough to pay for the air fare, lodgings and buffet he provides to his customers. Some passengers don't even pay $159. They gamble so much they get on the plane for free. Hawks relies on the casinos to make the trips profitable, he said. The casinos pay Hawks based on his customers' play. "I'm just looking for all the play that I find," he said. "If they cruise around town, I get nailed to the wall." Hawks' business relies on high rollers, he said. The more they play, the more money he earns. Of course, other junket operators want those customers. Bobbitt said he dropped his Fayetteville flights to Tunica, Miss., because of competition. For 10 years, Bobbitt provided the only gambling junket in Fayetteville. Then, six other representatives moved into the market, Bobbitt said. There weren't enough customers, and Bobbitt cut back. The people who fly the junkets are usually retirees and business owners, Hawks said. His biggest winner was a man who hit $157,000 on the $20 slot machines, Hawks said. Another time, two brothers were having a dry spell at the dice table, Hawks said. For a good-luck charm, Hawks gave them an extra-large pair of underwear decorated with dice. One brother put the underwear on his head and started rolling. In two hours, the brothers won $18,000. To see more of The Fayetteville Observer or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.fayettevillenc.com. Copyright (c) 2006, The Fayetteville Observer, N.C. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News. 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