There’s one reason to look forward to November in Atlantic City: Revenue comparisons will no longer have to include the dead 
weight of Trump Taj Mahal. Gaming revenues were up 3.5% on the Boardwalk last month but add the Taj to the mix and they were almost 3%. Internet gambling ($21 million) was gangbusters, up 32.5%. Slot handle, hold and revenue were all flat, at $166 million for the month, while a 1.5% slippage in table game wagering translated into an 8.5% drop in revenue, to $55 million. Borgata grossed $70.5 million, a 7.5% increase, with table revenue up almost 15% ($21 million) and slots gaining 5% on a corresponding increase in coin-in.
Market share of online play was a follows: Golden Nugget 24.5%, Caesars Interactive 21%, Borgata 20%, Tropicana 18% and Resorts Digital 16.5%. Terrestrial play favored the Trop ($33.5 million), up 11.5%, and Harrah’s Resort ($32 million), albeit down 3%. Caesars Atlantic City was flat at $28 million, as was Bally’s ($21 million). Despite a 2% dip, the Golden Nugget booked $20 million while Resorts Atlantic City grossed $18.5 million, for a 6.5% gain.
* Detroit casinos had a very mixed August. The market was down 4% overall, with MGM Grand Detroit dropping 7% to $48 million and Jack Greektown off 6% to $25 million. The Illitch family had a good month at Motor City, though, up 1% to $41 million.
* Paragon Gaming is giving the Westgate Las Vegas‘ casino 
a much-needed makeover and has tapped Scientific Games to provide a global solution. In addition to 670 new slots, the changes will include upgraded gaming-management systems, as well as software enhancements that will touch virtually aspect of both the player and managerial experience. Congratulations to Scientific on grabbing the brass ring.
* Promoters of the Las Vegas Raiders are belatedly getting around to building grass-roots support for the team before it leaves Oakland. Media are being invited to cover a game-watching party at high-rise, high-price One Las Vegas condo towers and root for the Raiders against the perennially jinxed New York Jets. Now if only something could be done to stir up blue-collar enthusiasm that translates into ticket buys.
* If you haven’t gotten your turn with Madonna yet, Aristocrat Technologies has the answer to your (“Like a) Prayer.” Since 
the varying models of the slot will reflect different iterations of the singer’s career, you can presumably choose between brunette, “Borderline” Madonna and blonde, controversy-courting “Justify My Love” Madonna. The Material Girl has long been a natural for the casino floor and now she’ll be where she belongs. The news is so fresh that Aristocrat doesn’t even have any game imagery up on its Web site so far.
* It’s difficult to believe but The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas is six years old. To celebrate, CEO Bill McBeath is rolling out a makeover of the vast majority of the hotel rooms. There’s never such a thing as too much or too frequent capex reinvestment.
