Given the high hopes that preceded it, Bally’s Casino in downtown Chicago is no better than a succes d’estime. Whereas then-mayor Lori Lightfoot (D) had penciled in $12 million in 2023 tax revenues, Bally’s Medinah Temple crib is on pace to realize just over half that, having passed along just $5 million through November. Betting the Windy City’s fortunes on an urban casino was always a risky wager and it seems to be crapping out. Revenues at the temporary casino last month were $7.5 million, flat with October. On the upside, admissions to the casino rose to 86K (a 4% sequential increase), as players left $88 a head behind them. That puts Bally’s in the number-two spot in the state.
Illinois casinos, including Bally’s, realized $130 million in revenue last month, 14% more than last year but 3% down when adjusted for new capacity—and 14% lower than 2019. In other words, “growth” is merely a rearrangement of the money that was already on the table, as some industry figures warned. Statewide leader, of course, was Rivers Des Plaines, which ceded 4% to the newcomers but realized $43.5 million, leaving everyone in the dust. Next best was Grand Victoria, down 7% to $13 million, then Harrah’s Joliet, tumbling 15% to $10 million. Hanging out around $7 million apiece were The Temporary at American Place (too new for comparison), Hollywood Joliet (jumping 9.5%) and Hollywood Aurora (falling 9%). Considering that even Penn Entertainment concedes that the two Hollywoods are outmoded, they’re doing surprisingly well. Hard Rock Rockford rounded out the Chicagoland market by leaping 13.5% to almost $6 million.
Faring well were Bally’s Quad Cities, up 7% to $5 million and Par-A-Dice, up 3.5% to $5 million. Argosy Belle leapt 10% to $3 million. Less fortunate were Harrah’s Metropolis ($5 million, -3%) and DraftKings Casino Queen ($6 million, -3.5%). Walker’s Bluff Casino realized $2 million and Golden Nugget Danville made $3 million. Speaking of which … Illinois regulators are making the latter disassociate itself with disgraced slot vendor Matthew Monson. Seems the Nugget was willing to get into bed with an individual whose licenses as a VGT supplier and operator had both been revoked. The grounds included “failure to disclose sales agents in a timely fashion, misrepresenting sales agents start dates, and intentionally making false statements.” Tilman Fertitta needs to be a great deal more selective with whom he does business.
While on the subject of untoward activity, did the University of New Mexico throw a Nov.6 football game to University of Nevada-Las Vegas? The New Mexicans were trounced by favored UNLV 56-14. The blowout was occasioned by “a slew of special teams and defensive errors.” Hmmmm. What’s more, the 10.5-point opening line widened to 16.5 at the last minute, usually an indicator of non-kosher wagering. Ditto the creation of multiple accounts expressly for the purpose of betting on the game. In spite of this, UNM Athletic Director Eddie Nuñez claimed, “To date, there is no indication of any misconduct and we look forward to the conclusion of the review.” For his part, UNLV coach Barry Odom tried to downplay the possible foul play: “It was a game we took control of early, but looking back, I don’t remember anything to cause me to believe” there was cheating, he said. New UNM head coach Bronco Mendenhall may have quite a mess to clean up, off the field as well as on.
Damage control or cover-up? In the same week that the Texas Republican Party voted to continue associating with anti-Semites, Jewish activist Dr. Miriam Adelson flew in to tout the supposedly deep connections between Texas and Israel. She also claimed her family were longtime fans of her new toy, the Dallas Mavericks. And if you believe that one, we’ve got a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you. “The commercial ties between Texas and Israel are truly booming and it even runs deeper than basketball,” asserted Dr. Adelson looking like a strung-out Cyndi Lauper. (Has she been getting high on her own methadone supply?) In a sign of a thaw between Texas businessmen and Las Vegas, the Texas Association of Business minted its first-ever Lone Star Award and gave it to Adelson.
Mostly, Adelson used her time at the podium to stump against Hamas (with good reason, we might add). We don’t know if she reiterated her call for a McCarthyite blacklisting of critics of Benjamin Netanyahu. In an op-ed, she had railed for such individuals to be hounded from their jobs and from public life, an appalling attack on free speech by someone who—thanks to her inherited wealth—enjoys an outsized megaphone in the public square. What’s next? A loyalty test of all Las Vegas Sands and Mavericks employees? If we’ve ever said anything nice about Miriam Adelson we take it back. To use her own phraseology, Miriam, you’re dead to us.
Jottings: Earlier this week, Station Casinos opened the doors to Durango Resort and, by all indications, it’s a big success. Vital Vegas author Scott Roeben called it “a home run.” Two years in the making, Durango is the only casino of consequence serving the southwest Las Vegas Valley. As such, it will have its pick of customers. Already a second phase is in the works, so confident is Station … Congratulations to Mike Rumbolz, new chairman of the American Gaming Association. In previous times, Rumbolz was CEO of Everi Holdings, having also been Nevada Gaming Control Board chairman, giving him a variety of industry perspectives … Ground has been broken on the new, dry-land iteration of Hollywood Aurora. When completed, the Penn Entertainment property will offer 900 slots and 50 table games, at a cost of $360 million … In another significant Penn move, ground was broken on a second hotel tower at M Resort. Budgeted at $206 million, the expansion will add 384 hotel rooms to the resort’s capacity … DraftKings and Caesars Sports Book dominated early sports betting action in Maine. Punters wagered $43 million but the amount of revenue actually realized was not disclosed … Turning Stone Casino Resort in upstate New York has cannibalized a nightclub (so passé) to create the NY Rec & Social Club. Boasting 60 HDTV sets, the new sports book will open Dec. 18. Caesars Entertainment is out as operator in favor of in-house TS Sports … Las Vegas Sands could become significantly more leveraged, as it’s reported to be shopping for a $7.5 billion loan. The money would be used to expand Marina Bay Sands in Singapore … Not to be outdone, nearby Resorts World Sentosa is contemplating a 40% expansion of its hotel capacity. This, it is hoped, will spruce up attendance that is still lagging pre-Covid levels.