We’re not sure what American gaming companies were thinking when they saw Davenport Mayor Bill Gluba, At-Large Alderman Gene Meeker and City Administrator Craig Malin pitching their city from an exhibitor’s booth in Las Vegas.

Here’s what we’re thinking.

The odds of landing a hefty casino investment from this conference remain impossibly long. The annual G2E gaming conference drawing tens of thousands of participants is full of seminars bemoaning the sorry state of the casino industry.

But the odds of improving the city’s bargaining position with its current vendor and any prospect seem like a sure thing. Davenport largely has been a silent partner with the Isle of Capri. The city holds the license through the Riverboat Development Authority. But Davenport has been unable or unwilling to make its vendor live up to its own promises. Heck, Davenport can’t even get the Isle to regard the state’s first gaming license as a No. 1 priority in Iowa. The Isle has shifted support to its Bettendorf and Waterloo operations in Iowa to the detriment of Davenport’s gaming license.

The offer being dangled by the Davenport delegation seems promising. The city pledges cooperation for development at one of six suggested sites that can accommodate a variety of marketing approaches: A riverfront hotel complex; a downtown events center casino; or an Interstate 80 destination.

But a review of the conference agenda shows a casino industry tapped out on credit, with dwindling revenue and less interest in expansion. That information will make Davenport’s leaders more savvy as they seek a new vendor, or work to improve the Isle’s meager Davenport performance. By visiting the G2E, Davenport leaders are getting schooled in casino operations beyond their Isle experiences. And they’re introducing to those other operators a city interested in being a partner, not an afterthought. We hope that message also is heard in the Quad-Cities, and at the Isle’s St. Louis headquarters.

Of the thousands of vendors, only one other represents a community. The Nova Scotia Gaming Corp. exhibit is right next door to Davenport’s.

We’re glad to see Davenport leaders acting on their promise to voters to get a better deal from the valuable casino license now relegated to third tier by the Isle. Status quo may be good enough for the Isle. Mayor Gluba’s presence in Las Vegas last week shows it’s not good enough for Davenport.