Indiana, Missouri, Ohio rebound, Illinois not so much

Missouri casinos grossed $139 million, just 8.5% off from last year at this time. Slots ($115 million) were down 8% while tables ($17.5 million) shed 11%. Players shunned Hollywood Casino St. Louis ($14.5%, -29%) in favor of neighboring Ameristar St. Charles (flat, $23 million), proving that you can’t keep a good casino down. Lumiere Place held its own, down 9% to $11.5 while River City struggled a bit, its $15 million a 17% decline. All outstate casinos were revenue-positive (particularly Century Cape Girardeau) except Isle of Capri Boonville, which plunged 19.5% to $5.5 million. In Kansas City it was a big win for Harrah’s North Kansas City, up 12% to $16 million. Ameristar Kansas City had an unwontedly bad month, falling 12% to $14 million. Argosy Riverside grossed $13.5 million, off 6.5% and Isle of Capri Kansas City dipped 13% to a mingy $4.5 million.

A full month of gambling didn’t much help casinos in Illinois, which plummeted 28.5%. True, limited capacity may have played a role but we’re not hearing that excuse from other jurisdictions. The gross was but $82.5 million and $30 million of that came from Rivers Casino Des Plaines despite being down 18%. Except for Harrah’s Joliet (-19% on $12 million), most of the other results ranged from dire to calamitous: Empress Joliet $6 million, -45%, Hollywood Aurora $6 million, -35.5%; Grand Victoria $9 million, -29.5%; Par-A-Dice $4 million, -39%; Jumer’s Casino Rock Island $3 million, -55.5%; Harrah’s Metropolis $5 million, -23%; Casino Queen (a rent deadbeat, it ought to be called “Welfare Queen”) $5.5 million, -33% and Argosy Belle $2 million, -43%. Two million? Does that even cover the electric bill?

This just in … A late-break dispatch from Ohio shows casino revenues growing 11.5% to $181 million. Let that sink in a moment. Racinos were only up 3.5% but casinos leapt 23%. Breakaway leader was Hollywood Toledo, whose $33 million was a 98% moonshot from last year. We’ve been hard on Dan Gilbert in the past so it should be noted that his gambling houses did well, with Jack Cleveland up 5.5% to $18 million and Jack Thistledown jumping 20% to $15 million. Struggling a bit were Hollywood Columbus, down 4.5% to $18 million and Hard Rock Cincinnati, off 5.5% to $16.5 million. Usual state leader MGM Northfield Park had to settle for second place with $19 million and -11%. Scioto Downs grew 7% to $17 million (look out, MGM) and Hollywood Dayton jumped 14% to $11 million. Miami Valley Gaming was up 2% to $15 million while Belterra Park slipped 2.5% to $7 million and Hollywood Mahoning Valley gained 4% to $11 million. Discretionary capital is clearly not a problem in the Buckeye State.