Casino revenues hopped 6% in April in the Free State. It was driven by a 19.5% surge in table winnings, as slots were flat. MGM National Harbor led the way with $74 million, up 8%. Horseshoe Baltimore slipped 3% to the mediocre $15 million per month that is this misbegotten casino’s destiny. Maryland Live was up 7.5% to $63 million. Ocean Downs gained 5.5% to $8 million but Hollywood Perryville ceded 4.5% to $7.5 million. Rocky Gap Resort continued to turn it around, up 7% to $4.5 million.
There was a 10% leap in the Land of Lincoln, led by newfangled Hollywood Joliet, which rocketed 82.5% past its predecessor to $13 million. Management was concerned that the novelty factor might wear off quickly. However, with business 5% better in April than in March we’d say they can sleep soundly at night. Statewide leader, of course, was Rivers Des Plaines, up 5% to $46 million, a real category-killer. Even Bally’s Casino in downtown Chicago had a good month, jumping 9% to $12 million. Out in the ‘burbs, The Temporary at American Place was up 6% to $10.5 million. Full House Resorts maintains that the leap would have been closer to 16% were it not for poor table hold. Anyway, Wind Creek Southland continued to give Chicagoland a run for its money, up 13.5% to $19.5 million.
The only revenue-negative casino in the metro area was Harrah’s Joliet, subsiding 7% to $8.5 million. Your move, Caesars Entertainment. Even due-for-replacement Hollywood Aurora was up 6.5% to $9 million. Hard Rock Rockford vaulted 15% to $13.5 million and dowager Grand Victoria hopped 5% to $13 million. Fairmont Park racino continued to gain traction, pulling in over $2 million. Downstate, Par-A-Dice edged up 1.5% to $5.5 million, while Bally’s Quad Cities leapt 16.5% to $6 million and Harrah’s Metropolis catapulted 41% to $4 million. Golden Nugget Danville jumped 13.5% to $3.5 million but Walker’s Bluff Casino was down 8% to $3 million. Argosy Belle was down a point at $3 million and DraftKings Casino Queen slipped 2% to $7.5 million.
Across the river, in the Show-Me State, the statewide gain was far less dramatic, just 1%. Ameristar St. Charles was flat but still outdistanced the competition with $26 million. River City ($23.5%, 3.5%) continued its new pattern of besting Hollywood St. Louise($22.5 million, 3.5%), though that’s a nice problem for Penn Entertainment to have. Better that than be perennial also-run Horseshoe St. Louis ($14 million, 4.5%). While Horseshoe was having a good month, though, disaster struck Harrah’s North Kansas City, whose revenues plunged 29% to $13 million. And Harrah’s KC still did better than Bally’s Kansas City ($10.5 million, -5%). Ameristar Kansas City was unruffled at $18 million, up 4%, as was Argosy Riverside, up 7.5% to $14.5 million.
Outstate, Century Caruthersville continued to validate Century Casinos‘ faith in the market, as it vaulted 38% to $6.5 million. Century Cape Girardeau was not to be outdone, leaping 32.5% to $7 million. Isle of Capri Boonville was up 4% to a boondocks-leading $8 million. Mark Twain Casino jumped 8.5% to $3 million and St. Jo Frontier was up a point to $4 million.
Lastly, there was a healthy gain in Indiana, up 5% statewide. It’s difficult to believe Hard Rock Northern Indiana is already five years old as it lapped the field with $36.5 million, albeit down 2.5%. Horseshoe Indianapolis was next with $29.5 million (5%) and certain to remain a solid second place now that the Lege has shooed casino expansion in the direction of Fort Wayne. Ditto #3 Harrah’s Hoosier Park, up 5.5% to $22 million. Horseshoe Hammond slid 6% to $20 million and Ameristar East Chicago fell 8% to $13 million, making Blue Chip ($10.5 million, 6%) the only revenue-positive casino in the northern tier.
Terre Haute Casino finally slowed a bit, flat at $12 million. Belterra Resort was up 5% to $6.5 million and French Lick Resort gained 6% to $7 million. Bally’s Evansville, that company’s powerhouse, dipped 2% to $14 million, while little Rising Star ascended 6% to $3.5 million. Hollywood Lawrenceburg was up 4% to $13 million and that’s all she wrote for the month. Hoosier State sports betting was volatile, with winnings leaping 20.5% to $49 million on handle of $482.5 million (13% higher), for 10% hold. FanDuel narrowly bested DraftKings, $16.5 million to $16 million. Fanatics scored $4.5 million and third place, outdistancing BetMGM ($3 million) and Caesars Sportsbook ($2 million), while theScore Bet didn’t even cross our Mendoza Line.
Stiff of the Century? How does Bill Hornbuckle sleep at night? MGM Resorts International has gotten so greedy that it stooped to ripping off one of its own waitresses, according to a new lawsuit. The casino giant is alleged to have confiscated a $76,000 tip received from a winning baccarat player at MGM National Harbor. Guess the casino was smarting so much from getting clobbered at baccarat that it took it out on waitress/wage slave Tajia Mackyeon. Management demanded the chips with which she had been graced and returned them to the player. Fortunately, Mackyeon isn’t taking this lying down. She’s suing MGM for “conversion” (a nice, legalistic term for theft), the $76K tip and $1 million in damages. We hope she takes them to the cleaners.
Fool on the Hill. Yesterday, the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority flung $530 million of taxpayer money at the feet of R&R Partners, in a triumph of crony capitalism. Every few years, the LVCVA pretends to take competing bids for its business and—for 45 years running—that business has ultimately gone to R&R. It’s one of the oldest circle jerks going. Considering that Las Vegas is hurting for business—and how lame some of R&R’s recent efforts have been—we can’t help but be reminded that doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting a different result, is a working definitely of insanity.
Finally … on a personal note, we had blood drawn yesterday for testing and were informed this morning that it came out darned near perfect. So you’re stuck with us for a while yet.