West Virginia to experience revenue drop

The fall is influenced by new casino openings across the area.

US.- According to the West Virginia Lottery, ever since the MGM National Harbor opened its doors on December 8, video lottery revenues at Hollywood Casino from Charles Town Races have experienced a 19.5 percent fall, about US$670.000.

Table gambling revenues have also dropped to US$214.000, a 22 percent. Eric Schippers, Hollywood Casino Senior Vice President of Public Affairs, said: “We prepared well in advance by reinvesting in our business to remain competitive. Over the last few years we have built a new hotel, completely refreshed our slot machine offerings, added a new entertainment venue featuring top performers, and built new restaurants and added new amenities for our Asian guests.” Shippers believes that they will still remain competitive, even if they expect a 20 percent drop in this year’s revenues.

CEO of the Jefferson County Convention and Visitors Bureau Annette Gavin, said: “This is not the first casino that has popped up in the area. Each and every time the Hollywood Casino has adjusted and come out victorious. I am confident that the people at the Hollywood Casino are watching and listening and are extremely intelligent people and will adjust their business model in any way they need to. I don’t think it’s a time to be an alarmist about it.”