Normally lucrative Maryland actually dipped 1% to $142.5 million. MGM National Harbor slipped 6% to $56 million, its slot revenue flat but table revenue 12% off. By contrast, Maryland Live was up 4%, grossing $49.5 million, while Horseshoe Baltimore faded to $17 million, down 9.5%. Hollywood Perryville vaulted 20% to $7 million, Ocean Downs also made $7 million (+4%) and Rocky Gap Casino came through for Golden Entertainment, up 10% to $5 million. Over in West Virginia, revenues tumbled 20%, with tables in a 33% tailspin and slots off 17%. At Penn National Gaming‘s Charles Town Races it wasn’t quite so bad, with slots down 16%, tables -30% for an overall -16%.
Indiana slid 7% to $162 million. That’s not even an apples-to-apples comparison, as it includes $4.5 million in table-game revenue from Caesars racinos that they didn’t have last year. Despite a 26% plunge, Horseshoe Hammond still dominated the Hoosier State with $26 million, while Ameristar East Chicago gained 9% to $18 million and Blue Chip (shown) toppled 21% to $10 million. The two Majestic Star boats grossed $7 million and $4.5 million, respectively, -1.5% and flat. French Lick Resort got licked, down 29% to $5.5 million. Indiana Grand jumped 13% to $22 million and Harrah’s Hoosier Downs was flat at $16 million. Rising Star grossed only 4% but that was good for a 6.5% gain. Belterra Resort fell 12% to $7 million and Tropicana Evansville (soon to be Bally’s) dipped 11% to $10.5 million. Caesars Southern Indiana cooled a bit, up 2% to $17.5 million whilst Hollywood Lawrenceburg slid 7% to $13.5 million.
Some redemption was to be had in the form of sports-betting revenue, which rose to $231 million in handle, thanks in part to the return of Big Ten football. “With a schedule that was more comparable to an ordinary October, Indiana’s sportsbooks fared well and offered a clearer read on where Indiana’s market stands,” said analyst Dustin Gouker. “Interest in the Indianapolis Colts, Indiana University, and Notre Dame is helping as the state transitions from a market that relies on Chicago to one that is more reliant on local bettors.” It also boiled down to $21 million in revenue, 50% higher than in September.
Wagers on NFL and college football hit $85 million, easily outdrawing basketball ($11 million) and baseball ($26.5 million). And that’s not counting the handle on the Halloween Candy Bowl, an eating contest held in Las Vegas. “Wringing a few extra dollars from Joey Chestnut downing candy corn might not be a game-changer on its own,” wrote analyst Jessica Welman. “But it is a sign of a larger strategy by sportsbooks to diversify their boards in interesting ways.” William Hill launched its online sports book but only scared up pocket change as FanDuel (Blue Chip, $63.5 million handle) and DraftKings (Ameristar, $90.5 million) reigned supreme.
There was a 5.5% slippage in Missouri, where Ameristar St. Charles was flat but that was good enough to lead the state with $22 million. Hollywood St. Louis, despite its proximity, slid 16.5% to $16 million. Lumiere Place (pictured) was down 6% to $11 million and River City shed 12% to $16.5 million. In the Kansas City market, Ameristar (-11.5%, $14.5 million) ceded primacy to Harrah’s North Kansas City (+2%, $15 million), while Isle of Capri—or whatever generic moniker Twin River Holdings has put on it—jumped 13.5% to $6 million and Argosy Riverside dipped 3% to $13 million. Caesars claimed top honors out in the sticks with $6 million at Isle of Capri Boonville despite a 5.5% falloff. A player from the Show-Me State writes us, “There are a lot of casinos in the market by nobody seems to have invested a nickel since the Clinton administration. Ameristar St. Charles is the class of the state. Lumere Place has potential. KC is four boats all run aground and last updated when Mark Twain passed by.”
What’s Illinois‘ excuse? Slot routes? The state’s never been the same since the Great Recession and last month’s gambling revenues plummeted 26% to a pitiful $79 million. With the exception of Rivers Casino Des Plaines, falling 13.5% to $30 million, the figures were nothing short of calamitous. So let’s get the pain out of the way. ‘Best of the rest’ was Grand Victoria‘s $9.5 million (-21%). Harrah’s Joliet was -36.5% ($8 million), Empress Joliet -28% ($6.5 million), Hollywood Aurora -31% ($6 million), Par-A-Dice -28% ($4 million), Harrah’s Metropolis -31.5% ($4 million), DraftKings Casino Queen -40% ($5 million), Jumer’s Rock Island Casino -40% (Twin River’s pride and joy at $3 million) and would the last person leaving Argosy Belle (-40%, $2 million) please turn off the lights?
What sort of person bets on last Monday’s tilt between the 3-6 New England Patriots and the 0-9 New York Jets? Hell, who watches it? Fans, however, are ensured of a slew of knuckle-biters this weekend, with TheLines.com aggregating various betting sites to come up with eight games with spreads of four points or fewer. The outlier is the Green Bay Packers, expected to wallop the Jacksonville Jaguars by 14 points. As for the seemingly playoff-bound Las Vegas Raiders, they’re favored to edge the gimpy Denver Broncos by five points, with an over/under of 52.
