It was a flat August in the Hoosier State, as casino executives look toward Four Winds Casino in South Bend with 
trepidation. Perhaps it is the vampiric rise of slot routes in Illinois, but the northern tier of Indiana casinos were almost all down last month. The lone gainer ($33 million) was Horseshoe Hammond, up 1%. Ameristar East Chicago ($17 million) took a 3.5% hit while Blue Chip was off a percentage point, at $13 million, while the Majestic Star boats were down 1% and 2% respectively.
The racinos are usually reliable performers and Indiana Downs was up 2%, to $20 million, but Hoosier Park faded 3% to $14.5 million, Despite construction disruption, Tropicana Evansville had the healthiest month, up 6% to $10.5 million, French Lick Resort gained 5% to almost reach $8 million. Belterra was off 4%, at $9.5 million, 
and Rising Sun gained 2.5%, albeit for a puny $4 million, (One understands why Full House Resorts CEO Dan Lee wants to establish a sister casino in Indianapolis.) Hollywood Lawrenceburg ($14 million) was up 2% and Horseshoe Indiana rose twice as much, to gross $20.5 million. Foot traffic was down 2% but players spent 2.5% more, balancing the ledger.
* It was a more upbeat story in Missouri, where gambling revenues rose 3%, despite a corresponding decline in admissions. Show-Me State punters were in a mood to gamble, spending freely. That translated into, among other things, a 16% surge for Tropicana Entertainment ($12 million) at comeback kid Lumiere Place. In the greater St. Louis market, River City was up 4.5% ($18.5 million) and Ameristar St. Charles gained 3.5% ($21.5 million) but Penn National Gaming/GLPI‘s Hollywood St. Louis slipped 3% to $20 million.
In Kansas City, Argosy Riverside had a good month, up 5.5% 
to $13 million. Ameristar Kansas City fell 4% to $15 million, while Harrah’s North Kansas City leapt 10% to $15.5 million. Of the Isle of Capri-branded riverboats, Boonville was flat but grossed the most ($7 million). Isle lost 3.5% in Kansas City ($6 million) and 8% in Cape Girardeau ($5 million) where the novelty of casino gambling has clearly worn off.
* Deutsche Bank analyst Carlo Santarelli was exuding an abundance of caution today as he reviewed MGM Resorts International‘s prospects. He said there was “fairly limited downside risk” but … occupancy had been flat for several quarters in Las Vegas, parking fees are approaching the one-year market (so no more room for growth there) and much the same could be said for resort fees. Excuse us while we fail to shed a tear. Also, gaming volumes were described as “stagnant,” all adding up to a pretty ‘meh’ evaluation of the stock.
* What can stop the World Poker Tour? Hurricane Irma, that’s what. A WPT deepstacks tourney at Seminole Casino Hotel in Immolakee, Florida, was nixed due to the rampaging storm. Seminole Hard Rock casinos in Hollywood and Tampa, however, advertised themselves as being open for business as usual. In the casino industry, some things never change.
