Casino gaming revenues were down for the month of April in Kansas, according to a report today to the Kansas Lottery Commission.
Revenues were down across all state-owned casinos in Kansas, producing a total of almost a half-million dollars less for the state of Kansas than one year ago, in April 2018, according to casino revenue figures.
At Hollywood Casino in Kansas City, Kansas, the April 2019 revenues were $12.35 million as compared to $13.06 million in April 2018.
Keith Kocher, director of program assurance and integrity for the Kansas Lottery, said the gaming revenues at casinos in Kansas City, Missouri, also were down in April.
Kocher added the gaming revenues for May are looking good at the moment.
In a written report to the Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission, Rick Skinner, vice president and general manager of the Hollywood Casino, wrote that April 2019 admissions were down 5.2 percent compared to April of 2018.
Slots revenue decreased 3.9 percent in April 2019, and table games revenue decreased 18.8 percent, he wrote.
Special events in April at the Hollywood Casino included Max Bet Mayhem and Mystery Winning Hand, according to the report.
The Hollywood Casino had several events scheduled for May and June, including a NASCAR weekend party earlier this month, a robe giveaway and a luggage giveaway earlier this month, Final Fridays on the Patio on May 31; a Summer Bash for Cash on June 1 and June 15; a VIP Mystery Drum on June 22, and other events, the report stated.
For the Unified Government, which receives 3 percent of the gaming revenues, the dip in April revenues means about $20,000 less than April of last year. The UG will receive about $370,525 from the April revenues.
The state of Kansas will receive 22 percent from Hollywood Casino, or $2.71 million from the April 2019 revenues, as compared to $2.87 million in April 2018, a decrease of a little more than $150,000.
For all four state-owned casinos combined, the state will receive $7.47 million in April 2019 as compared to $7.96 million in April 2018, according to the report.
The Kansas Star Casino in Mulvane, Kansas, reported that April 2019 admissions were down about 16.3 percent, compared to April 2018.
Boot Hill Casino in Dodge City, Kansas, reported an 8.16 percent decrease in gaming revenue for April 2019 as compared to April 2018.
The Kansas Crossing Casino near Pittsburg, Kansas, reported a 6.8 percent decrease in admissions in April 2019, with a 5.8 percent overall decrease in net gaming revenue.
The casinos reported holding several special events during the period.
The weather may have played a major role in attendance. A glance at the weather reports from April in the Wyandotte Daily shows that there was rain on the weekend of April 6-7, freezing weather and rain on the weekend of April 13-14, and rain and severe weather on the weekend of April 27-28. Plus there was Midwest flooding on many days in April.
In other action, lottery commissioners discussed the sports wagering bills in the Kansas Legislature.
Lottery Acting Executive Director Stephen Durrell noted that a sports wagering bill did not pass the Legislature this year. Several bills had been introduced this year. He said perhaps the legislators could begin action a little earlier on the bill next year.
Tom Roberts, lottery commissioner from Kansas City, Kansas, said the lottery should monitor what is being done in Iowa with sports wagering, find out what works and what doesn’t work there and learn from them.
Durrell said they will monitor Iowa and other states that are now starting sports wagering. He said the lottery itself didn’t back any one bill for sports wagering in Kansas, but had been keeping an eye on the issue.