Stimulus checks and pent-up demand only seem to go so far (except in Ohio). Gambling revenues in Indiana were down 10% last month, to $168 million. $5 million of that was table game play from Hoosier Park and Indiana Grand, something the Hoosier State didn’t have at this time last year. Other than Indiana Grand, only Caesars Southern Indiana was revenue-positive for the month, up 2.5% to $18.5 million. (The racino climbed 9% to $23 million.) There were the Caesars Entertainment properties and then there was everybody else. Horseshoe Hammond grossed $29 million, a 13% decline, while Hoosier Park slipped 2.5% to $16 million. Best of the rest was Ameristar East Chicago, down 2% to $19 million.
Rounding out the northern tier were the Majestic Star boats, grossing $6.5 million (-13%) and $4.5 million (-9%) respectively, as well as Blue Chip. The latter got walloped, down 31% to $9.5 million. Its companion in misery was French Lick Resort, tumbling 40% to $5 million. In the south, Belterra shed 22.5% for $8 million, while Tropicana Evansville stumbled to 10.5% (-17%) and Rising Star slipped 7% to $4 million. Hollywood Casino Lawrenceburg fell 12% to $14 million. Sports betting closed out its first year with a month that saw $169 million in handle. A full month of MLB, NBA and NHL play got the credit, even though Indiana’s fourth-place standing among American sports-betting states was described as “increasingly tenuous.” The NBA led sports bets ($55 million), with baseball second at $31 million. Football barely registered, thanks to the delay of the collegiate season.
