VGTs influence Indiana’s casinos
Operators in Indiana believe that the bad results experienced in April are related to VGTs.
US.- Indiana casinos experienced a 6.9 percent fall in revenues to US$80.7 million last month, as reported by The Chicago Tribune. Back in April 2016, the gambling facilities collected US$86.3 million.
The numbers released by the Indiana Gaming Commission reveal that Majestic Star I was the only casino that didn’t experience a drop in its revenues, from US$8.5 million in 2016 to US$8.6 million this year. On the other hand, casinos like Blue Chip Casino in Michigan collected US$13.4 million, down from the US$14 million reported last year, and Ameristar saw a US#3 million decrease from the US$21 million reported in April 2016 to the US$18.1 million last month.
Dan Nita, senior vice president and general manager at Horseshoe Hammond, which also experienced a million drop year-on-year, said: “There are two divergent stories. Table games have been quite stable and grown ever so slightly, but that can’t offset the decline in slot machines due to the (video gaming machines). There were some winners and some losers. We’ve seen in the last couple months that Illinois has fared better.”
Earlier this month, Indiana casino companies said a new tax legislation would lead to further financial benefits for the state’s funds, including social services in host communities.
