MGM National Harbor took the top spot in Maryland last month, grossing $50 million to Maryland Live‘s $45 million. “We view this as positive/encouraging for MGM, as it shows the property’s momentum has sustained into April,” wrote JP Morgan analyst Joseph Greff. 
The two casinos took in $279/slot/day and $246 respectively, healthy numbers indeed, although Maryland Live revenues fell 21.5%. Horseshoe Baltimore also took a hard hit, down 19% to $24.5 million. By contrast, Rocky Gap Casino continued on the comeback trail for Golden Entertainment, up 10% ($4.5 million), while Ocean Downs was up 3% to $5 million. Hollywood Casino Perryville, the little casino that couldn’t, fell 8% to $6.5 million. So far, Penn National Gaming‘s Charles Town casino in West Virginia has lost 7% of slot play and 17% of table play, as National Harbor chips into its market share.
* It was a month of swings and roundabouts in Illinois. The big number, a 2.5% decline in casino revenue would seem to suggest that slot routes continue to erode casino routes. But it’s not simple. 
Penn/GLPI properties had the worst of it, with Hollywood Aurora down 10.5% and Empress Joliet slipping 8%, both grossing $10 million. However, Harrah’s Joliet was up 5%, to $16.5 million, while monster Rivers Casino up 2% to $37 million. MGM Resorts International was down 2% to $15 million.
In the St. Louis market, Argosy Belle was 2% off the pace and GLPI’s Casino Queen slipped 2.%, grossing $4 million and $9.5 million, respectively. Boyd Gaming‘s Par-A-Dice had another hard month, down 10% for a $7 million gross. Caesars Entertainment‘s Harrah’s Metropolis was off 7% to $7 million and Jumer’s Casino Rock Island slid 16% to $6 million.
* Churchill Downs had a banner Kentucky Derby at its eponymous racetrack, with a record handle of $139 million wagered on the race. The company might have tabled the $16 million it spent (with more to come) on renovating the track: Attendance was 5% down this year.
* MGM is dipping a toe in the skill-based slots waters, installing two Gamblit games in the Level Up lounge. Caesars is also moving cautiously, adding a pair of SBS machines to Harrah’s Lake Tahoe. If they catch on, prepare to see a surge of installations but for now casinos are hanging back, waiting to see if the SBS games resonate with customers, Millennials especially.
* It’s official: Galaxy Entertainment is throwing its green eyeshade into the ring for a Japanese casino. Spurning a Japanese joint-venture partner, Galaxy is teaming with Societé des Bains de Mer. Unlike other operators, Galaxy didn’t hang a price tag on its entry.
