Louisiana casinos grossed $97 million last month, having been closed on March 17. April appears to be a dead loss. Surprisingly, the Baton Rouge market was the least hard-hit although at -58% everything is relative. The 61% statewide plunge compares to a 2.5% dip in March 2019. Given its 
degree of exposure, it’s no surprise that Caesars Entertainment had the biggest decline of any operator, 63%. Harrah’s New Orleans fell 64% to $10.5 million, while competitors grossed far less still: Boomtown New Orleans $5 million (-57.5%), Treasure Chest $4 million (-59%), Fair Grounds racino $2 million (-51.5%) and Amelia Belle $1.5 million (-63%). The total New Orleans gross ($23.5 million) not only fell below Lake Charles‘ $33.5 million but—horribile dictu!—Shreveport/Bossier City. Those Texas-based players must have been looking for some serious gambling relief last month.
Horseshoe Bossier City ($6.4 million, -65%) actually fell behind Margaritaville ($6.5 million, -59.5%) for the first time ever, a Pyrrhic 
victory for the underdog. Eldorado Shreveport was next with $4.5 million (-62%), while Sam’s Town ($3 million, -60%), Boomtown Bossier ($2.5 million, -55.5%), Harrah’s Louisiana Downs ($2 million, -49%) and Diamond Jack’s ($2 million, -57.5%) brought up the rear to varying degrees. In Baton Rouge, it was another win of sorts for L’Auberge Baton Rouge, grossing $6 million (-58%), far outgrossing Eldorado Resorts‘ decrepit Belle of Baton Rouge ($1.5 million, -57%) and GLPI‘s Casino Rouge ($2.5 million, -56%).
As for Lake Charles, there was some consolation to be had for Tilman Fertitta, whose Golden Nugget was dominant, with $12 million (-59%), followed by L’Auberge Lake Charles ($11 million, -62.5%). Isle Grand Palais eked out $4 million (-62%), while Delta Downs tallied $7 million, down 62.5%. All involved must be pining awfully hard for an early May reopening and hoping Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) feels the same.
Two and a half years later, we’re still trying to understand the motivations behind the Mandalay Bay Massacre. A new documentary, Money Machine, posits that it was a vendetta against MGM Resorts International by killer Stephen Paddock to get even over gambling losses. We have some difficulty with that contention, as Paddock also cased Fenway Park, among other places he could stage mass murder. However, Money Machine is less concerned with the ‘why’ of the massacre than the aftermath, in which MGM sued many of the victims, one as young as six years.
The scattershot trailer above generates more heat than light about the events but reviewer David Alm boils it down to a concerted civic cover-up, one that has kept the name of Las Vegas out of such ranks of infamy as Columbine, Parkland and Sandy Hook. “It was imperative, the film deftly argues, that people keep coming to Vegas, keep spending money in its casinos, and under no circumstances associate it with what happened on October 1st, 2017,” writes Alm. This entailed “a web of corruption and cover-ups that make the Vegas of yesteryear, when it was still run by the mob, seem positively quaint … a Las Vegas controlled by huge corporations and a compromised police department is vastly more nefarious than the city built and run by gangsters well into the 1980s.” All we can say is watch and judge for yourselves. Money Machine is streaming online through the auspices of the Cleveland International Film Festival through the 28th.
* Although it seems incredibly counterintuitive in these Coronavirus times, Caesars Palace is investing $2.5 million in an upgrade to Bacchanal 
Buffet (no doubt with price increases to match). As much as we love this buffet—we could happily just dine at the seafood station—we have to question Caesars’ priorities. At least CEO Anthony Rodio is putting money into capex before Tom Reeg takes over and starts ‘reeg-ing’ havoc.
* If we had a say in the Presidential Medal of Freedom, we’d give one to José Andrés, who’s been on the front lines of the pandemic fight. In Las Vegas, he’s setting up shop at the Sahara, aiming to feed 1,500 medical workers this week. It’s part of Andrés’ World Central Kitchen outreach program. Health workers aren’t getting a fraction of what they need these days so we’re doubly grateful to Andrés for doing his bit to show appreciation.
