New Hard Rock casino gives Indiana record gaming revenue in May

The Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana opened its doors in mid-May, but two weeks were enough to cause Indiana gaming revenue to jump 24 per cent compared to May 2019.

US.- Casino revenue in Indiana increased by 24 per in May compared with 2019 figures.

The jump in revenues has been attributed to the new Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana in Gary, which opened on May 14, with a big opening night that included the presence of Marlon and Tito Jackson of the Jackson 5 (the Jackson family is from Gary and still owns its home there).

According to the monthly statistics released by the Indiana Gaming Commission, Indiana’s four casinos took in a total of $97.7m last month, compared to $78.7m in May 2019 (in May 2020, all venues were closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.)

Ameristar Casino in East Chicago took in $26.6m in revenues last month compared to $21.1m in May 2019, up 26 per cent.

Horseshoe Hammond raked in $38m compared to $31.3m, a 21.4 per cent increase. Blue Chip brought in $12.5m compared to $13.2m, according to the IGC report, a 5.3 per cent drop.

Hard Rock Northern Indiana raked in $20.6m in its two weeks of opening – that’s 57.3 per cent higher than the $13.1m its predecessors, Majestic Star I and Majestic Star II, took in combined in May 2019.

Indiana gaming analyst Ed Feigenbaum told the Chicago Tribune that with the lifting of restrictions in late April and early May, people were looking for entertainment.

“People felt more comfortable going out. There was some pent up demand, particularly in the first half of May,” he said.