Gambling revenue from Nevada locals players dipped 2% last month. Now, before anyone shrieks “Recession!” or looks for the sky to fall, be it noted that we’re still streets ahead of 2019, which was the go-go ‘new normal.’ If, as Deutsche Bank analyst Carlo Santarelli predicts, Las Vegas Strip revenues drop over the summer, that will be cause for a reappraisal. For now it’s blue skies for the Strip, which was up 5% from April of last year. Strip casinos grossed $625 million, driven in part by 8% greater slot win (on a commensurately larger amount of coin-in) and 4% more table game revenue, despite slightly lower wagering. Baccarat cleaned out the house again, with win falling 11% in spite of 12% more diñero wagered. Downtown enjoyed an even better April up 10.5% to $74.5 million, so bully for Glitter Gulch. With a newly revamped Plaza Hotel joining newish Circa and the renovated Fremont Hotel, reinvesting in Downtown continues to pay dividends for owners.

Our man in Atlantic City has posted a flurry of dispatches, mainly concerning his new stomping ground, Harrah’s Resort. What you see above is the indoor pool, which doubles as a nightclub. When last visited, there was a (short) line to buy nightclub tickets. Next door, where the buffet formerly reposed, is Bobby’s Burger Bar, another in the McFranchising of Bobby Flay line. It’s described to us as “very plain looking, probably ‘naming rights’ only.” Adds our correspondent, “I should have said it is alleged to be a Bobby Flay restaurant. Since I’ve seen fancier food courts, it doesn’t have the look of a Bobby Flay-branded place.” Below the fold is, believe it or not, the Harrah’s casino floor. We say ‘believe it or not’ because Harrah’s is the best-performing of the Caesars Entertainment threesome in Atlantic City and one would expect it to be doing better. As our scribe writes, “Harrah’s is quite large and is well maintained. It’s hard to understand why they don’t have more customers.”

Last week, Deutsche Bank analyst Carlo Santarelli hit town and gave a rundown of the major players in Sin City. His overall theses can be found at CDC Gaming Reports. Basically, it boiled down to Macao great, Las Vegas Strip excellent, Las Vegas locals very good and regional casinos a bit iffy. But he also looked at a number of operators in granular detail and that is what occupies us today.

Boyd Gaming expects little or no impact from the debut of Durango Resort. If there is any, it will be felt at Suncoast. The expected result was described as “competitive strategy changes,” as Boyd is confident of keeping its Suncoast customers. On the plus side, growth in the Las Vegas Valley is likely to redound to the benefit of Aliante Casino. Rival Station Casinos read the tea leaves right on this one—but 15 years prematurely. In light of Boyd’s heavy exposure—seven casinos—to the Gulf Coast, management allowed that they are “actively dissecting” the underperformance of Mississippi and Louisiana. For one thing, unrated play (which is soft) is higher in this region. Also, the relative poverty of these two states means that they’re where macroeconomic challenges will be felt first. In the Midwest, Blue Chip and Kansas Star have shaken off the impact of ‘historical horse racing’ machines. Belterra Resort, not so much. Boyd seems likelier to be a buyer than a seller these days, particularly if something digital complements its online assets.