CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Revenue fell across the board last month at Ohio's four casinos and two racinos.
The Horseshoe Cleveland remained the state's most profitable casino, but the gross decreased 3.5 percent to $19.3 million, according to figures released Monday by the Ohio Casino Control Commission. The total represents the amount left after paying winners.
It was the worst full month yet for the casino, coming in more than a half-million dollars below a previous low set in April. Numbers dropped in a month with five weekends, choice dates in the gaming industry. Ohio's June numbers were down, in part, because customers were luckier.
Statewide, gamblers wagered $978 million on table games and slot machines, about $9 million more than in May. More was bet on slot machines at the Cleveland Horseshoe and ThistleDown Racino in suburban North Randall, but payouts were higher.
"Customers had a better month, and that's good for the customer experience," said Marcus Glover, who oversees both venues for the owner, Rock Ohio Caesars.
Experts advise making seasonal comparisons, but holding the Horseshoe's revenue numbers up against those of the previous June is misleading. At that point, the Horseshoe had just opened, and the novelty fueled a $26.1 million haul, still the casino's high-water mark.
Robert R. Russell II, a Michigan-based gaming analyst, said summer months can eat at regional casinos that are dependent on local customers. Graduations, vacations and other distractions compete for time.
But David Schwartz, director of the Center for Gaming Research at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, said the broader market may be tightening because of casino expansion in the Midwest and East. He noted that recent numbers have been down year to year in Illinois and flat in Pennsylvania.
Roger Gros, publisher of Global Gaming Business magazine, said the casino industry is reaching saturation across the United States. He predicted that the Ohio casinos will serve as catalysts for development, particularly in Cleveland and Cincinnati, but does not expect a lot of growth in revenue.
"I think what you see now in Ohio is what you're going to get," he wrote in an email. "I doubt there will be a great expansion beyond the business that they've already achieved."
