June revenues for the Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kan., are about $2 million under the May revenues, according to figures released today by the Kansas Lottery.
The June revenues were $11,491,164 as compared to May revenues of $13,535,920, according to Keith Kocher, director of program assurance and integrity at the Kansas Lottery. He was speaking at the Kansas Lottery Commission meeting.
Revenues also were down for Boot Hill Casino in Dodge City, Kan., and Kansas Star Casino, Mulvane, Kan.
At Boot Hill Casino, June revenues were $2,936,755 for June as compared to $3,732,096 in May. At Kansas Star Casino, June revenues were $13,841,074 in June as compared to $16,889,552 in May.
In total, the three state casinos reported casino gaming revenue of $28,268,993 for June as compared to $34,157,568 in May, a total decline of almost $6 million.
Kocher said the decline was expected, and that June revenues are down every year as compared to May.
Record year for casino revenues in Kansas
He also reported figures for the end of the fiscal year, which came at the end of June.
Gaming revenues, from the three state casinos, resulted in a record of $365 million during fiscal year 2015, Kocher said, or about $1 million a day.
It was also the best year ever for Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway, which produced $142 million in gaming revenues, according to lottery records. Hollywood Casino’s previous high was fiscal year 2014 at $132 million, and the past year was a full $10 million increase over that.
During fiscal year 2015, all three casinos combined gave $80.3 million to the state of Kansas. That figure includes $31.4 million from Hollywood Casino.
Hollywood Casino paid $4,282,772 to the Unified Government during fiscal year 2015 from the casino gaming revenues, representing 3 percent of the total. Additionally, $2.8 million went to the problem gambling fund.
Since it opened on Feb. 3, 2012, Hollywood Casino has given almost $100 million to the state of Kansas in casino gaming revenues. It has given $13.6 million to the UG for its 3 percent of the casino gaming revenue.
Since their opening, the three casinos together have given back $294 million to the state of Kansas from casino gaming revenues.
Lawsuit filed over fourth casino in southeast Kansas
A fourth state casino is in the works in southeast Kansas.
Kocher reported that the Kansas Racing and Gaming Review Board had selected Kansas Crossing, Pittsburg, Kan., in Crawford County as the manager on a vote of 5-2. Two votes were for another applicant, Castle Rock in Cherokee County. A contract also has been approved for the new casino, with an expected opening date by July 2, 2016.
However, Kocher reported that a case has been filed in Shawnee County District Court challenging this decision. The Cherokee County commissioners board filed a petition July 13 against KRGC, requesting a temporary restraining order and temporary injunction. A hearing on it was scheduled for 2 p.m. July 16 in Shawnee County District Court.
Traditional lottery game revenues up in fiscal year
Sherriene Jones-Sontag, deputy executive director of the Kansas Lottery, reported that traditional lottery sales were up this fiscal year, from July 2014 to June 2015. Sales were $264.4 million, which is 2.66 percent ahead of last year’s record sales, according to lottery officials.
The lottery transferred an additional $75.02 million to the state during the fiscal year, another record, according to lottery officials.
This improvement in lottery sales came despite a challenging year in which there were few $200 million jackpots and in which a new national game the lottery had planned to join did not go forward. It was also a year in which prize payouts, totaling more than $137 million, were $5 million more than the previous year, she said.
She said the entire team played a crucial role in the success of the lottery this year.
One of the goals for this year will be increasing the number of selling spots within retail lottery locations, she said.
Contact Mary Rupert at [email protected].