Business is still strong on the Boardwalk. Casino revenues of $228 million for October in Atlantic City were 3% higher than last year and a healthy 13% more than in 2019 (and still Big Gaming claims that it can’t make money at the shore). Sports betting leapt 18% to revenue of $92 million on $1.3 billion in handle. And i-gaming generated $167 million, a 13% jump. A poor performance at the slots (-14%) translated into a 9% drop for Borgata, closing out the month with $57 million. But that’s nothing compared to the performance of Ocean Casino Resort, which shot ahead of Hard Rock Atlantic City. Ocean grossed $43.5 million, a +53% moonshot. Hard Rock did a not-inconsiderable $41 million, up 6%.
Caesars Atlantic City suffered a dreadful month, plunging 18% to $14.5 million—and far closer to last place than first. It was down amongst Resorts Atlantic City ($13 million, +3%), Bally’s Atlantic City ($12.5 million, +15%) and last-place Golden Nugget ($12 million, +1.5%), all of which saw revenue increases. Strange that Bally’s Corp. didn’t tease those good Boardwalk numbers on the last earnings call. Tropicana Atlantic City was down 5.5% to a mediocre $16.5 million, while it fell to Harrah’s Resort to salvage corporate honor with $18 million—a 12% dropoff. Does Caesars Entertainment really need that much capacity in Atlantic City?
In i-casino biz, DraftKings ($54 million) and BetMGM ($35.5 million) shared the bulk of the market, with FanDuel settling for $20 million. Caesars took in $13.5 million. Sports betting was a runaway for FanDuel, with $57 million netted. The remainder was divided between DraftKings ($15 million), BetMGM ($8 million) and Caesars Sportsbook ($1.5 million.)
Revenue numbers across the state in Pennsylvania were the reverse image of Atlantic City’s: $274 million, but 3% down from last year and 12% away from 2019. Sports betting revenue of $73.5 million (on handle of $829 million) was a 20% spring and i-gaming haul of $155 million represented a 24% vault. Despite a 3.5% setback, smoke-free Parx Casino breezed to $47 million, trouncing all of its Philadelphia brethren (as usual). Philadelphia Live jumped 8.5% to $21 million for the second Philly spot, followed by Rivers Philadelphia (shown), down 7% to $17 million. Harrah’s Philadelphia plunged 19% to $11 million, but stayed an increment or two ahead of Valley Forge Resort ($11 million, -1%).
Best of the rest was easily Wind Creek Bethlehem, at $41 million and flat. In the Pittsburgh area, The Rivers ceded a point to hover at $28 million, staving off Hollywood Meadows ($15 million, flat) and Pittsburgh Live ($9 million, -4%). Mohegan Pocono was flat at $17 million, Presque Isle Downs dropped 10.5% to $8 million and Mount Airy slid 8.4% to $15 million. Hollywood Penn National was down 7% to $13 million and Lady Luck Nemacolin—continuing to show there’s life after Churchill Downs—jumped 12% to $2 million. Among the remaining satellites, Parx Shippensburg eked out $2.5 million, Hollywood York was flat at $8 million and Hollywood Morgantown grew 7% to $5.5 million. I-gaming was, per usual, dominated by the catchall Hollywood Casino skin, which netted $62 million. BetRivers is now locked into third place with $29 million, behind FanDuel’s $35.5 million.
There is good news to be had from Louisiana, at least to the extent that declines seem to be shallowing. Gambling revenues ($174.5 million) were down 6% from last year but only -4% from 2019. Sports betting netted $39 million on handle of $276 million. Starting in the Crescent City, we find Harrah’s New Orleans struggling somewhat (-12%) but still tops with $19.5 million. Next-closest was Boomtown New Orleans, off 10.5% to $9.5 million. Treasure Chest tumbled 16% to $6 million, Fair Grounds stumbled 16% to $3 million and outlying Amelia Belle was 5% off to $2.5 million. In Baton Rouge, newbie Queen of Baton Rouge vaulted 51% to $6.5 million, while oldster Belle of Baton Rouge slipped 2% and below $1 million. (How do they keep it open?) L’Auberge Baton Rouge was up 2% to $13.5 million.
Horseshoe Lake Charles ($7 million) continued to eat into that market, least of all Golden Nugget, down 9% but still well out front with $23.5 million. Less fortunate were L’Auberge du Lac, plunging 18% to $22 million, and Delta Downs, falling 17.5% to $11 million. Outlying Evangeline Downs was down 2.5% to $6 million. Which leaves Shreveport/Bossier City, which was led by Margaritaville ($14.5 million) but it tumbled 14%, bringing Horseshoe Bossier ($13 million) within striking distance, thanks to a 53.5% pole vault. Except for Bally’s Shreveport, up 5% to $8 million, everyone else was an also-ran: Boomtown Bossier ($3 million, -14%), Sam’s Town ($3 million, -5.5%) and Louisiana Downs ($3 million, -12%).
Just when it looked like a deal was in place to end the strike that’s been impacting all three Detroit casinos … workers at MGM Grand Detroit voted down their version of the pact, opting to further hold out. To recap, a tentative accord was reached whereby strikers would receive immediate, 18% pay hikes, health insurance would still be comped, workloads would be lessened and more. It was a tribute to the resolve of the UAW and of strikers who held out for 32 balmy days in the face of scab workforces at the casinos. “This is really going to help people maybe go from renting an apartment to buying a house. From maybe catching a bike [?] to buying that first car to get back and forth to work,” remarked Hollywood Greektown negotiator Milledge McCaster. Greektown’s John Drake reciprocated the sentiment on behalf of management, saying it appreciated “the productive and respectful negotiations with the [Detroit Casino Council] and are eager to welcome back our team members as soon as possible.”
“I think it’s going to pass because, basically, we got what we asked for,” commented Greektown slot tech Maxine Ward-Looney. Maybe for Greektown and MotorCity, but no such pleasantries were forthcoming at MGM. 600 workers voted in favor of the new, five-year pact but at least twice that number were against it. It’s unclear why. Workers at MotorCity and Greektown saw their new terms (including a paid Juneteenth holiday) go into effect last night. MGM will continue to operate a scab casino-hotel, possibly staffed by UAW defectors, too. But please don’t cross that picket line, folks.
Pretenders, not contenders. Finally facing a playoff-caliber team, the Las Vegas Raiders sputtered against the Miami Dolphins, losing 13-20. Congrats to the Raider defense for holding the high-flying Miami attack in check. Yet, once again it was let down by an offense that simply can’t score and another scatter-armed quarterback who threw far more interceptions (three) than TDs (one). It was a game to forget. Another team that has hit its ceiling is the New York Jets, who followed up a stultifying loss at Allegiant Stadium with a thorough pasting by the Buffalo Bills. Take it easy, Aaron Rodgers. You won’t be needed this season.
Jottings: Seen at the opening of LPM Las Vegas in The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, S&G pinup girl Kate Beckinsale. Although a Las Vegas Grand Prix press release tried to claim fame-by-association, a source close to us says Good Queen Kate was planning to sleep through the race … Lame-duck sessions in New Jersey and Pennsylvania will bring gut-checks for lawmakers. Garden State solons have pledged to vote on whether to continue to exempt Atlantic City casinos from the state’s smoking ban. In the Keystone State, a similar loophole-closure has been voted out of the Health Committee. We’re hopeful, albeit cautiously … No sports betting in the Tarheel State anytime soon. North Carolina sports wagering was supposed to launch on Jan. 8 but now it looks like it will be happening later—like June, maybe … As we reported earlier, the doom of the Tropicana Las Vegas has been sealed. The owners of Major League Baseball have voted unanimously to move the execrable Oakland Athletics to Las Vegas, meaning that nothing now stands between the venerable Trop and a wrecking ball … So much for Las Vegas Sands being a frontrunner for a New York City casino. Its 99-year lease at the Nassau Coliseum has been vacated by a county judge … Genting Group continues to reinvest in Resorts World Sentosa, pledging $5 billion in upcoming improvements. Why not? It’s (almost) the only game in town … Sports betting in Florida is well and truly running. The Florida Supreme Court declined to the enjoin Seminole Tribe from offering wagers while litigation works its way through the system. Is this genie permanently out of the bottle?
borgata changed the name of the water club to the mgm tower. nobody knew what water club meant in the first place.
Yes, it’s an older photo. We’re still reconstructing our media library after the paywall move. Please bear with us.