Gambling revenue hit a record amount in Maryland last month, up 9% to $164 million. The good news for MGM National Harbor was that winnings were up 4% to $64 million. The bad news is that this was 
driven by high-tax slots (up 11%), not low-tax table games (down 4%). National Harbor was dominant in market share, with 38.5%, compared to Maryland Live‘s 34% and Horseshoe Baltimore‘s 16%. Maryland Live gambling win vaulted 19%, to $56 million, while the ‘Shoe did $25.5 million (+3%). Ocean Downs jumped 12.5% to $6.5 million, while Hollywood Perryville was flat at $7 million. Out in the boonies, Rocky Gap Resort gained 9% to $5 million. Next door, West Virginia had an off month, down 3%. Penn National‘s Charles Town Races casino had very bad luck at the tables (-25%), propelling a 10% decline.
A neutral calendar underlined the strength of casinos in Ohio, up 3.5% last month. Buckeye State casinos grossed $184 million, with Hard Rock Rocksino leading the way—perhaps for the last time—with $24.5 
million (+5%). In dollar amounts no other racino came close. Churchill Downs-infused Miami Valley Gaming surged 12.5% to $17.5 million, while Jack Thistledown gained 8.5% to $13 million. Boyd Gaming grossed $8 million at Belterra Park (+4.5%) and Eldorado Resorts made $17.5 million (+7%) at Scioto Downs. Penn was up 4% ($12 million) at Hollywood Mahoning Valley and 5.5% higher at Hollywood Dayton ($11 million). As for the full-service casinos, Hollywood Toledo was flat at $20 million, Hollywood Columbus shed 4% for a $21.5 million finish, Jack Cincinnati was up 2.5% ($20 million) and Jack Cleveland down 2% ($20 million).
On top of the unwelcome news that the Indiana Lege was considering increasing both the number of casinos and gaming positions in the Hoosier State came a 2% decline in casino revenue. (How much of that 
was lost to tribal Four Winds one cannot say.) Blue Chip appears to have shaken off tribal competition, up 1% to $15.5 million, as has Majestic Star II, grossing $6 million (+5%). Majestic Star I took a 6.5% hit ($8.5 million), Ameristar East Chicago was flat but took home $23 million and Horseshoe Hammond grossed $38 million (-5%).
Except for Indiana Downs, up 7% to $26 million, everyone in the southern tier had a bad month. Belterra booked $11 million (-4%), Tropicana Evansville made $15 million (-3%) and Rising Sun [sic] scored a measly $4.5 million, down 6.5%. Hollywood Lawrenceburg‘s $16 million represented a 3% dip, Horseshoe Southern Indiana‘s $20.5 million was a 7.5% plunge and French Lick‘s $9 million was a 1% slippage. Lastly, Hoosier Downs was 1% off the pace at $18 million.
Next door in Illinois, things were scarcely less blah, with revenues ($126 million) down 2%. Subtract a 30%, flood-imposed revenue disaster at Harrah’s Metropolis ($3 million) and the Land of Lincoln 
was flattish, as they say on Wall Street. Rivers Casino led the state in both dollars ($43 million) and percentage gain (7%). Jumer’s Casino Rock Island was the only other gainer (2.5% to $6.5 million), while Hollywood Aurora was flat at $11 million and Par-A-Dice was also flat, grossing $7.5 million. The St. Louis market fared poorly, with Argosy Belle down 6% to $4 million and Casino Queen falling 9% to $9 million. Empress Joliet slid 5.5% to $11 million while Harrah’s Joliet tumbled 5% to $16 million. Eldorado had its first taste of adversity at Grand Victoria, down 8% to $14.5 million.
Missouri revenues where nothing to write home about either, although the Show-Me State was only down 1%. And the statewide $116.5 million gross was more impressive than Illinois’. Ameristar St. Charles 
was the statewide champ with $25 million (-3%), closely followed by Hollywood St. Louis ($23 million, +4%). Eldorado had 4% adversity at Lumiere Place ($16 million), while there was some trouble (-6%, $21 million) in River City. Among the outlying casinos, only Isle of Capri Boonville had a good month (+3%, $8 million), while Affinity Gaming‘s Mark Twain Casino was bad (-15%, $3 million) and independent St. Jo Frontier (-48%, $2 million) was truly terrible.
In the Kansas City market, Boyd again dominated, up 2.5% to $19 million at Ameristar Kansas City (above), followed by Harrah’s North Kansas City ($18 million, +15%). Argosy Riverside was flat at $15.5 million and Isle of Capri Kansas City rounded things out with a 3.5% decline to $6.5 million.
In closing: Uff da!
