At $538 million, last month’s Strip gambling revenue fell 9%. Slot win was 1.5% up on 5.5% more coin-in. However, baccarat win plunged 27% on 20.5% less wagering. Non-baccarat table games were down 19% on 11% less betting. Strip casinos faced a tough comparison with October of last year and will have another one this month, going against a 10% jump overall in November 2018, fueled by a 53% (!) baccarat surge. Locals play was steady, with 2% greater revenue despite flat slot revenue on 1% more handle.
Downtown grossed $68 million, a 7% gain, the Boulder Strip was flat at $78.5 million, North Las Vegas slipped 3% to $26.5 million, miscellaneous Clark County was up 5% to $111 million and Laughlin skidded 5.5% lower to $44.5 million. Reno‘s $53 million gross was good for a 2% gain while Lake Tahoe jumped 14% to $19.5 million. The Strip’s declivity was driven in part by a 21% falloff in convention attendance, although overall tourism was up 4%, including a record-setting 4,609,318 airline passengers. Room rates were 5% down on 6% less revenue per room. Time to break out a new round of resort fees! (Whoops. Better not give Big Gaming any ideas.)
* It’s a done deal. Mobile sports betting will come to New Hampshire and DraftKings will be the provider. In return, it forks an eyebrow-raising 51% of its revenue to the state. (Gaming companies complain about high taxes but only after they agree to pay them.) Said Gov. Chris Sununu (R) said, “We are partnering with a world-class company to provide a first-rate customer service experience. With today’s vote, everyone will now be able to bet on Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in time for this year’s Super Bowl.” Added New Hampshire Lottery Executive Director Charlie McIntyre, “We are working directly with DraftKings to implement a sports betting system that both engages players, while also ensuring all appropriate safeguards are in place.” Neighboring Massachusetts, meanwhile, is stalled. Several competing bills are forming a scrum in the Lege.
* It pays to be a casino employee represented by the Culinary Union—literally. In response to a query about holiday pay, the Culinary’s Bethany Khan said, “Culinary Union members get paid for the holiday even if they don’t work and if they do work, they get paid double for that day.” Sweet!
* Speaking of the holidays, the Las Vegas Monorail will be operating nonstop from 7 a.m. on December 31 to 2 a.m. on Jan. 2, giving inebriated tourists a safe route back to their hotels (the Las Vegas Strip will be closed to vehicular traffic for roughly 12 hours). Just one minor complaint: The Monorail will be charging $1 per ride. Since it’s trying to discourage drunk driving, couldn’t the Monorail comp the service? It’s the least it could do. And whatever happened to that Mandalay Bay route extension? It seems to have gotten lost in the melee of helter-skelter MGM Resorts International property sales.
Jottings: Happy 80th birthday, Tina Turner. Her saga of survival and eventual triumph should be an inspiration to us all … Sir Richard Branson is making a play for the British national lottery. Current provider Camelot‘s contract is up for renewal and Branson will be making his second bid, a 2000 winning gambit having been voided in court … Poker pro Dennis Blieden could be looking at as many as 22 years in the big house. He pled guilty to siphoning money from firm StyleHaul to fuel his gambling habit. It’s a familiar saga, although it rarely involves Internet influence-peddlers … Washington State‘s Macau Casino firm is out $1.2 million in reimbursement to gaming regulators, who had to look into money-laundering allegations at casinos in Tukwila and Lakewood. The probe lasted three years, hence the hefty payment. A casino employee is also charged with engaging in loan-sharking, complete with threats of violence. Seven gaming licenses have been revoked and four more may be.
