Tag: Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway

Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway revenues continue at more than one-fourth decline

Casino gaming revenue numbers announced Wednesday afternoon by the Kansas Lottery Commission showed a continued decline of more than one-fourth of the revenues at the Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway.

The casino reported $9.34 million in gaming revenues for the month of August 2020, compared to $13.16 million for the month of August 2019, according to Kansas Lottery figures. It was about a 29 percent decline.

Keith Kocher, director of program assurance and integrity for the Kansas Lottery, said that just like last month, the state’s four casinos are about 18 percent behind last year’s figures for the month.

Hollywood Casino has had to cut back on the number of slot machines and table games they are offering, during the COVID-19 pandemic, and also has had to limit the number of people in the facility. They also are closed from 2 a.m. to 8 a.m. on Mondays through Thursdays for cleaning, and were previously open 24 hours a day.

“Casinos are doing the best they can,” Kocher said. “It’s challenging but they are continuing to be safe and get as many in as they feel comfortable coming in.”

Kocher said that overall, the casinos are feeling positive. They had no idea how things would go when they reopened in May, and in June, they saw a lot of pent-up demand, he said. The demand has leveled off somewhat now. It seems that they’re reasonably happy with what’s going on right now, Kocher said, and everyone wants to see the numbers go back up to normal.

Stephen Durrell, Kansas Lottery executive director, said the casinos are doing the best job they can in the circumstances. They are very proactive to make sure they are maintaining safety standards for staff and players, he said. It is an extra difficult time for them and for any businesses to be open, he said.

Hollywood Casino pays 3 percent of the gaming revenues in a tax to the Unified Government, and 22 percent to the state of Kansas.

In a written report to the Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission, Rick Skinner, vice president and general manager of Hollywood Casino, stated that admissions were down 41 percent in August 2020 compared to August 2019.

While there was a decrease of 29 percent in comparison to last year, it was an increase of $800,000 over last month’s revenues, Skinner reported.

Slots revenue came in at $8.8 million, a decrease of 24.4 percent, and table games revenue was $572,000, a decrease of 57 percent, he reported. The poker room remained closed at the casino.

The Hollywood Casino has some special events planned in the coming weeks, including the Winning Hand promotion Sept. 11 and 18; a VIP high limit pull party Sept. 12, the Raid the Vault giveaway on Sept. 19, and the $250,000 risky bonus promotion on Sept. 25 and 26.

At the Sept. 9 Kansas Lottery Commission meeting, the proposed 2021 lottery budget was approved.

Matthew Schwartz, director of finance for the lottery, said he projected about $410 million in total state casino revenue for 2021 last year. Now the projection is $311 million, he said, about 25 percent off from where it was.

Hollywood Casino, with the strictest local restrictions, is the farthest off of the four casinos, he added.

Hollywood Casino gaming revenues down 32 percent in July

Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway in Wyandotte County formerly was open 24 hours a day, but now is closed between 2 a.m. and 8 a.m. each weeknight for cleaning, according to this sign. It also has had to put more space between slot machines and table games. Gaming revenues were down 32.6 percent in July, according to a report to the Kansas Lottery Commission on Wednesday.

Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway reported gaming revenues down 32.6 percent in July, according to a report at the Kansas Lottery Commission meeting on Wednesday.

The casino, which is in Wyandotte County, reported gaming revenues of $8.5 million in July 2020 as compared to $12.6 million in July 2019, according to state figures.

The gaming revenues in July were up slightly from June 2020, when they were $8.45 million.

Keith Kocher, director of program assurance and integrity for the Kansas Lottery, said the other three state-owned casinos also were down in July. Boot Hill at Dodge City, Kansas, was down about 4.5 percent; Kansas Star at Mulvane, Kansas, was down about 11.5 percent; and Kansas Crossing near Pittsburg, Kansas, was down about 4 percent, he said. All four together were about an 18 percent decrease in gaming revenues.

“All the casinos were doing their best to get over the shut-down hump they were in and trying to get customers back in the doors, pedaling as fast as they can,” Kocher said. “We appreciate their efforts.”

The casinos are social distancing, which means some tables are not being used and some slot machines are blocked off, according to lottery officials. A reopening plan was approved by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, subject to some local health authorities, as well, according to Kocher. Those who go to the casinos must wear masks and have their temperatures taken, he said. There are cleaning regimens in effect.

So far, there have been no real issues at the casinos, he added. He said he is not complaining, but other jurisdictions’ casinos may have different criteria for health and safety and some players may be going to some of those other places across the state lines.

The casino formerly was open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, but now it is closed for a few hours each weeknight for cleaning, according to a sign at the casino.

According to a written report to the Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission, the 3 percent of the gaming revenues that goes to the Unified Government as a gaming tax was down over $100,000, and was reported at $255,344.42 in July 2020 as compared to $378,861.99 in July 2019. Twenty-two percent goes to the state of Kansas as a gaming tax, and that amount was down a little over $900,000.

Admissions to the casino were down 43.8 percent in July 2020 as compared to July 2019, according to a casino report. There was a decrease of 29.3 percent in slots revenue and a decrease of 53 percent in table games revenue, according to the report. The poker room at the casino remained closed.

According to a written report by Hollywood Casino general manager Rick Skinner to the Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission, Hollywood Casino has some special events coming up in the next 30 days that may attract more visitors.

Those include Aug. 22, VIP QuikTrip gift card giveaway; Aug. 28, Yeti giveaway; Sept. 3, gas stove giveaway; and Sept. 8, Pigskin Payoff game, subject to the start and continuing of the NFL season.

Stephen Durrell, executive director of the lottery, said the lottery continues to have discussions with casino managers each week. He said the casinos have been very proactive to make sure their staff is protected and the players are protected.

Durrell said that Powerball ticket sales in Kansas were down 7 percent and Mega Millions down less than 1 percent, while Super Kansas Cash sales were down 35 percent in July.

Those numbers were balanced by instant games, which saw strong sales, up almost 32 percent, he said. National games are an area where Kansas and other states are discussing changes, according to Durrell.

Durrell also said that land in Park City, Kansas, which is a suburb of Wichita, Kansas, was taken into trust several months ago by the Wyandot tribe to put gaming into that region. The lottery was notified last Monday in a news release that the state attorney general’s office has reviewed circumstances under which that ground had been taken into trust and felt sufficient reason existed to file suit. He said they have been taking this issue very seriously.

Casinos see slight decrease from August to September in gaming revenues

Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway reported a slight decrease in September gaming revenues, as compared to August revenues.

According to figures released at today’s Kansas Lottery Commission meeting, September’s total was $11,243,474, as compared to August’s $11,642,755.

Revenues also were down at Boot Hill Casino in Dodge City, Kan., which reported $2.86 million in September as compared to $3,457,087 in August, according to Kansas Lottery figures. The Kansas Star Casino in Mulvane, Kan., reported $14.37 million in September gaming revenues, down from $14.76 million in August.

The total for the three casinos was $1.38 million less in September than August.

However, looking at the revenues in a comparison of this September to last September, revenues were up.

Keith Kocher, director of program assurance and integrity for the Kansas Lottery, said casino revenues often decrease in September. He added there was an upward trend for the year, ahead by 2.79 percent from last year’s figures.

Kocher said a fourth planned state casino in southeast Kansas is currently in court.

In a written report to the Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission, Rick Skinner, general manager of Hollywood Casino, stated that the gaming revenue for September 2015 was a 4.5 percent increase over the revenue for September 2014.

Special events in September included slots tournaments and a Chiefs watch party on Sept. 28, Skinner stated.

During the Kansas Speedway events Friday at the Hollywood Casino 400, the casino will be giving away a truck that was purchased from Clint Bowyer’s car dealership in Emporia, Kan.