Illinois is coming off a flat August. The good news is that it’s an improvement on last year’s 2% decline. The bad news is that the lost business doesn’t appear to be coming back. Deutsche Bank analyst Carlo Santarelli reports that foot traffic was down 4%, although players spent 4.5% more. An unexpected piece of good news came from long-suffering Par-A-Dice ($7 million), up 3%. MGM Resorts International also had a good month aboard Grand Victoria, up 5% to $14 million. By contrast, Neil Bluhm had a setback at Rivers Casino, down 4% to $36 million. (Bluhm will be crying all the way to the bank.) Some of those players may have been captured by Harrah’s Joliet, up 1%. The most dramatic move was Empress Joliet‘s 12% surge, grossing $10.5 million. Hollywood Aurora was stagnant at $10 million while Casino Rock Island dropped 7.5% ($6 million).
Moving southward, Harrah’s Metropolis was flat at $6 million, while Penn National Gaming/GLPI‘s Argosy Belle had a kind of symmetry, declining 4% to $4 million. GLPI’s Casino Queen ($8 million) either had a run of bad luck or was avoided by players, slipping 7.5%.
* All the major operators in Ohio, notably Penn and Pinnacle Entertainment, had good Augusts. Heck, even Dan Gilbert managed to stabilize the ship at Jack Cleveland, grossing $17 million. Jack Thistledown rose 5.5% ($9.5 million) and Jack Cincinnati was good for a 5.5% boost ($15.5 million). Pinnacle’s Belterra Park continues to consistently improve, grossing $7 million for a $6.5 million increase. Penn/GLPI had strong results across their network of casinos and racinos: Hollywood Toledo, $16 million, +11%; Hollywood Columbus, $18 million, +8.5%; Hollywood Dayton, $8 million, +10.5%; Hollywood Mahoning Valley, $9 million, +8%.
Hard Rock Rocksino continued to dominate the Buckeye State with its $20 million gross, up 3.5%. Eldorado Resorts‘ Scioto Downs grossed $13.5 million, gaining 6%, while the Miami Valley racino cleared almost $12, up 6%.
* Texas lady Janet Redwine is $787,842 richer after hitting the jackpot on a World of Wonka slot on Labor Day at Harrah’s Las Vegas. This news is going to send slot fleas off in search of the “hot” machine, which coincidentally dispensed a $944,337 payout on June 22. That’s almost enough to buy admission to the Bacchanal Buffet across the street.
* Steve Wynn‘s Paradise Park may soon be rendered superfluous, if a newly approved, south-Strip project comes to pass. The Clark County Commission has voted in favor of an $800 million sports park, with hotel and convention center, to be built on Sunset Road right across from Town Square (former site of the Vacation Village casino). Given its proximity to McCarran International Airport, the FAA might still have something to say about the plan. In addition to the 640-room hotel (with two rooftop pools), the park will offer a plethora of attractions, including zip coasters and wake boarding. Developer Josh Kearney doesn’t have a construction timeline yet but he’s obviously not daunted by Wynn’s comparable plan.
