Horseshoe Lake Charles continues to prop up Louisiana casino revenues, which were down 2% last month compared to -6.5% if Horseshoe is subtracted. The statewide gross was $196 million. Visitation overall was up 3% but gamblers clutched their purse strings, spending 4.5% less on average. Lake Charles was led by the Golden Nugget, down 2% but winning $29 million. Close behind was L’Auberge du Lac with $27 million, feeling the Horseshoe hurt with an 8.5% decline. Horseshoe brought in $9 million while Delta Downs was good for $14 million, beating the odds with a 2% climb.
In New Orleans, the evolving Harrah’s New Orleans dipped 5.5% but still crushed the competition with $20 million. Boomtown New Orleans made $10 million, off 7%, while Treasure Chest dropped 12% to $7 million and Fair Grounds racino stumbled 13.5% to $3.5 million. Outlying Amelia Belle (pictured) was down 8% to $2.5 million whilst Evangeline Downs was off 2% to $6 million.
Similarly, in Baton Rouge there was L’Auberge Baton Rouge ($16 million, -2%) and then there was everybody else. Hollywood Baton Rouge tumbled 10.5% to $4.5 million and Belle of Baton Rouge eked out $1 million, plunging 11%. Hollywood, incidentally is coming ashore in the autumn, to an $85 million pavilion holding 750 slots and 18 table games. The declivity in Baton Rouge was nothing compared to the 18.5% setback suffered by Margaritaville in the Shreveport/Bossier City area ($15 million). Smokers flocked back to newly beclouded Sam’s Town ($3.5 million, +4.5%) and Bally’s Shreveport ($9 million, +6%). Horseshoe Bossier City was staggered -19.5% for $1o million but Louisiana Downs seems to have found its footing, up 17.5% to $3.5 million. Sports betting, meanwhile, continues to be a disappointment, engendering only $13.5 million in revenue on handle of $160.5 million.
Our Atlantic City bureau reports that Bally’s Atlantic City, in a seemingly perverse move, has reconnected to Caesars Atlantic City. Given the comparative offerings at each casino, one would think any sort of people mover would serve as a drain on Bally’s. Says our man on the Boardwalk, “Part of the former Wild Wild West Casino is now a theater and part is a new restaurant. Odd thing, there is no sign that directs people to either the theater or to the new restaurant. The main entrance to the theater is from the Boardwalk, through the historical facade of the (former) Warner Theater.” And if you want to witness global warming in action, head over to Ocean Casino Resort, where the fire pits are still blazing away in 90-degree weather.
While we in the media were napping, Station Casinos quietly stole a march on public decency. Its enablers in the Nevada Lege surreptitiously amended the law to reduce the amount of space between houses of worship, schools and casinos. This was done expressly to benefit Station’s Cactus Lane project, which aims to rival South Point. Heck, we’re just surprised that the Lege didn’t volunteer to manually demolish some schools to convenience Big Gaming. It would certainly jibe with the Lege’s anti-education stance. (Dance, lawmaker monkey, dance!) Congratulations to Howard Stutz for ferreting out this last-minute affront. As he writes, “A 25-acre piece of the Red Rock Resorts parcel is located opposite Dennis Ortwein Elementary School on Dean Martin Drive but separated by Interstate 15. However, the school is less than 1,500 feet from the casino site, which would have disqualified that part of the 125 acres unless a change was made.”
Station spokesman Michael Britt loftily informed the Nevada Independent that 80% of the school property is outside the 1,500-foot perimeter. Well, we guess that makes changing the law all hunky-dory. And if the school were only 15 feet from the casino, that would be OK with solons too. What Station wants, Station invariably gets. Assemblywoman Shea Backus (D) carried water for the Fertitta Brothers by birthing this misshapen progeny of the legislative session but there’s copious blame to go around. (Backus is currently in hiding.) Nobody voted against it, no debate was held and Gov. Joe Lombardo (R) happily signed it into law. Gambling has its place—but that place is not on the doorstep of a school, by heaven. Thank God the Independent isn’t beholden to the Fertittas and can report a story on which the MSM whiffed. Where Station goes, otherwise will undoubtedly follow, a dubious precedent having been set.
An area that’s less amenable to casino expansion—and where the industry carries less political heft—is Nagasaki, where a Casinos Austria megaresort was slowed last year. Gov. Kengo Oishi hasn’t gone off the casino idea but he’s in no hurry, being willing to wait until 2030. Casinos Austria had hoped for a 2027 debut but Oishi is quite content to let MGM Osaka have the first bite of the golden apple. Speaking of MGM Resorts International, it’s smarting at criticism from anti-gambling prudes that it ought to have its license taken away. Why? It seems that new acquisition LeoVegas didn’t keep its nose clean when it was an independent operator in Europe. Of course, that’d be like arguing hypothetically that Blackstone Group should be barred from Japan for the misdeeds of Crown Resorts before Blackstone bought it. (For the record, Blackstone has evinced no interest in Japan.)
None of that matters to the bluenoses. The Society for Considering Gambling Addiction Problems contends that MGM is benefiting from LeoVegas’ ill-gotten gains, some of which were made in Nippon. “Therefore, it is very likely that MGM has taken in the criminal proceeds illegally obtained by LeoVegas,” the society stretches. MGM shot back that its detractors’ charges were “completely unacceptable because it is unfounded and may lead to misunderstanding … Before completing its acquisition of LeoVegas, MGM asked LeoVegas to block access to its site from within Japan. Therefore, MGM evaluated the acquisition of LeoVegas based on the company’s business and operating conditions, excluding the Japanese market.” Given what we know of the MGM corporate culture in the Murren and Hornbuckle eras, we see no reason to doubt it.
There’s trouble in paradise, otherwise known as City of Dreams Mediterranean on Cyprus. The Melco Resorts & Entertainment project opened July 11 to the sight and sound of protests. Labor unions charge Melco with interfering with their attempts to organize workers at the resort. Perish the thought! Melco Chairman Lawrence Ho attempted to smooth over the incident with silky blather, talking up Cyprus as a convention destination. Menelaos Shiacolas, managing director of CNS Group, seconded his union-busting partner, saying, “We are extremely proud of our excellent partnership with Melco, a company whose experience, industry know-how and absolute commitment has made this amazing integrated resort possible.” Yes, especially by keeping unions off the property, it would seem.
Jottings: Phil Ruffin, bless his soul, is putting $38 million back into Circus Circus. His investment will result in a Sponge Bob Squarepants ride for kids of all ages, bowling, miniature golf, new elevators and a refreshed tent top to the casino. “He came and saw what a real jewel that this is, and he realized that it just needs a little bit of love,” Vice President of Operations Sheila Gerty said of Ruffin … Graton Resort & Casino in California has gone to cashless gambling. A new phone-based app from International Game Technology allows customers to play Graton’s slots without any stinkin’ folding money … No more free parking for Venelazzo customers. One of the Las Vegas Strip‘s last holdouts against the form of greed has capitulated. Apollo Management hasn’t announced how much it will charge you for the privilege of parking your own car. Thanks a lot, Apollo … Newly validated by the federal courts, the Wyandotte Nation is moving ahead aggressively on an expansion of its Crosswinds Casino, near Park City, Kansas. The augmentation will include a permanent casino, an enlarged hotel and multiple restaurants …
Also adding rooms is Rivers Philadelphia—although not very many. 62 suites will be spread over four floors of The Battery (above), a refurbished power plant down the street. Whether this touch of luxury gives Rivers an edge on Philadelphia Live remains to be seen.