Gambling industry veteran Ted Bogich has been named to head Blue Chip as the Michigan City riverboat prepares to compete with the area's first land-based casino.

"We're ready to take a huge step forward," said Bogich, who took over March 1 as vice president and general manager, replacing Judy Campbell, who retired.

Bogich, a Minnesota native, takes the helm of a new and larger Blue Chip vessel whose launch just over a year ago resulted in a 30 percent increase in revenue in the first month.

The expanded Blue Chip, including a new, $130 million hotel planned to open in late 2008, is expected to better position the casino for when Four Winds casino opens later this year.

Owned by the Pokagaon Band of Potawatomi Indians, the 145,000-square foot casino-resort outside of New Buffalo, Mich., will be the largest, and only land-based, gambling hall in the Northwest Indiana market.

The tribal casino will bring additional competition to what is "overall a very healthy market," Bogich said.

"We hope they will help grow the market by bringing more people into the area," Bogich said. "Our goal at Blue Chip is to continue to offer our customers a first-class gaming experience."

Bogich started in the gambling business 19 years ago in Las Vegas and worked in a number of markets, first for Harrah's Entertainment Inc., before joining Boyd Gaming in 2004.

He most recently was general manager of Sam's Town Tunica, a Boyd operation in Mississippi.

He and his family will live in the Michigan City area, Bogich said.