Congratulations, Las Vegas Golden Knights. For the second time in a year, Las Vegas has announced itself as a major-league city by bringing home a championship trophy. First it was the Las Vegas Aces of the WNBA, now the Knights, who slammed the door last night on the outmatched Florida Panthers, 9-3. (Nothing says “hockey” like Florida against Nevada.) Even better, they did it on the home ice, clinching a 4-1 Stanley Cup triumph—the second time the Knights have been in the cup finals in their six years of existence. No NHL team has won Lord Stanley’s cup so quickly. Now the pressure is on the dysfunctional Las Vegas Raiders to do more than merely appear in a playoff game. They’ll get eight prime-time TV slots next season. Let’s hope they do Sin City proud.

Indiana has joined the growing litany of states with disappointing May casino receipts. The statewide gross of $196.5 million represented a 7% drop-off from last year at this time. Only two casinos defied the trend. French Lick Resort leapt 14.5% to $7.5 million and tribal Caesars Southern Indiana rose 7% to $22 million. Not even Hard Rock Northern Indiana was immune to the blahs. It slipped 7% to a still-impressive $34 million. Horseshoe Hammond couldn’t take advantage, plummeting 15% to $24.5 million, while nearby Ameristar East Chicago plunged 15% to $15 million. Blue Chip got slammed -16% to $10 million. Down south, Bally’s Evansville (above) slid -7% to $13.5 million.

Mr. & Mrs. America’s torrid, post-pandemic love affair with casino gambling is finally cooling. It’s not cause for alarm, as we knew this was coming—in fact, it was expected to happen much sooner. And while players are dropping less at regional casinos, the picture is still quite roseate. Maryland gaming receipts slipped 5% last month, reaching $169.5 million, 11% better than 2019. MGM National Harbor was off 5.5% to $72 million. Reliable runner-up Maryland Live was good for $59 million, albeit down 6%. Horseshoe Baltimore turned in its usual $17.5 million, flat over last year, while Hollywood Perryville grossed $7.5 million for a 7.5% tumble. Ocean Downs plunged 8% but brought home $8.5 million while Rocky Gap Resort also fell 8% to $5 million. Given the circumstances, we’d say the relative stability of Horseshoe counts as a doggone moral victory. Thanks to strong slot play, West Virginia was actually 1% up last month, despite weak table play (-7%). Hollywood Charles Town outperformed the state, +4%, again buoyed by a good month (+6%) at the one-armed bandits.

American Gaming Association President Bill Miller likes to say—and quite rightly—that communities should welcome casinos because Big Gaming is willing to pay big taxes. Until now, that is. Las Vegas Sands has barely planted its flag in Nassau, New York, and is asking for (get this) tax breaks. For crying out loud, Rob Goldstein! Way to hobble your campaign to be downstate’s third resort-casino. According to an unnamed Sands source, the megabuck company ($45 billion in market capitalization) wants “a reduction in the mortgage recording tax” in return for higher education levies, among other things. Oh, and a lower sales tax on construction-related items. Such freeloading ill-behooves a company as esteemed as LVS and has us rethinking our endorsement of its Five Boroughs pitch.

Casino revenues are finally cooling off around the country, later than Wall Street expected. Ohio was down 5% last month, reaching $204.5 million—yet still 28% higher than pre-Covid April 2019. So the sky is definitely not falling. Two racinos defied the Buckeye State trend. MGM Northfield Park was up 3.5% to $26.5 million, easily the best in the state, and Miami Valley Gaming hopped 2% to $20.5 million. Hardest-hit was Scioto Downs, falling 12% to $20 million, along with Belterra Park, plunging 13% to $7.5 million. Metro casinos all ceded ground, with Hollywood Columbus off 5% to $23 million and Hollywood Toledo plunging 9.5% to $19 million. Jack Cleveland slipped 5% to $22 million and Hard Rock Cincinnati tumbled 8% but made $22.5 million.