It’s too soon to say that regional gaming’s economic honeymoon is over but Indiana was down 4% last month, grossing $177.5 million. (It was up 6% this time last year.) Penn National Gaming‘s Hollywood Lawrenceburg took a 15% header, 
grossing $13 million. Caesars Entertainment‘s two new racinos didn’t impress, with Hoosier Park up 1.5% ($16 million), while Indiana Downs was flat at $20.5 million. Horseshoe Southern Indiana grossed $19.5 million, a 10% stumble. Horseshoe Hammond took in $32 million (glass half-full) but slipped 7% (glass half-empty). Ameristar East Chicago, however, was up 4% to $18 million.
Belterra was up 1.5% to $9.5 million. Blue Chip Casino took a 7% hit, grossing $13 million, while Majestic Star was off 6.5% to $7 million and Majestic Star II yielded 3.5% to $5 million. Tropicana Evansville continued to beat the odds, rising 9% to $12 million. Rising Sun however, was setting, down 9% to $4 million. French Lick Resort was off 2.5% to $8 million. Full House Resorts CEO Dan Lee must be really chafing that he wasn’t able to clone Rising Sun in the Indianapolis market.
* Non-smokers lost and important battle in Hancock County, West Virginia, where the Board of Health voted to rescind its ban on smoking in public places. That means the odor of tar and nicotine will soon be returning to Mountaineer Casino today. 
Revenues at Mountaineer had plunged 19% during the first year in which the ban was in force. Players fled to Meadows Casino (+6%) near Pittsburgh and Wheeling Island Casino (+4%) in search of a good smoke along with their casino play.
“Given recent legislation that implements/proposes to implement smoking bans (e.g., St. Louis, Baton Rouge, and New Orleans), we are surprised to see legislation that moved the opposite direction,” wrote JP Morgan‘s Daniel Politzer. You can open a nonsmoking casino and actually exceed the foot traffic you were expecting, as is happening at MGM Springfield, but take the cigarettes and cigars out of a smoking properties, and there’s hell to pay.
* Global Gaming Expo really needs to get with the times, at least where entertainment is concerned. It gave its Entertainer of 
the Year award to Chubby Checker, Casino Musical Artists of the Year to The Commodores and Casino Entertainment Legend to the Righteous Brothers (along with Victor Drai). What’s wrong with this picture? These were the guys who were playing Vegas when I got there, almost 20 years ago! Can’t G2E find some fresher talent to honor? For example, Boyz 2 Men may not be fresh as a daisy but it’s not as old as Methusaleh either.
* G2E’s Shark Tank presentation was wan by DoorPro Doorstop founder Bill Hengler for his hinge-based doorstop, largely on the strength of having already sold 200,000 units and having MGM Resorts International for a client. Can’t argue with that, even though we like the ideas behind also-rans Inside Injuries and Shield Card Shoe better.
* Congratulations to Cami Christensen, newly named General Manager of Westgate Las Vegas. Why is this a big deal? Because 
Christensen joined the property in mid-2001, when it was still the Las Vegas Hilton. That means she’s survived Colony Capital, Navegante Group and the Great Recession (not in that order). Also, her appointment represents another crack in gaming’s glass ceiling. Said Westgate Resorts CEO David Siegel, “Cami is a rare talent and an incredible role model for all 2,000 of our team members. I can’t think of a better person to lead us forward.”
