Gaming up 2.6 percent despite weak table game win

Gaming win rose 2.63 percent in July despite growing evidence American Indian casinos are hurting Nevada's table game revenues.

The state's nonrestricted gaming licensees reported a total win of $825.5 million for the month. Most of the positive numbers were in Clark County.

But while slot win was up, game and table win was flat or down.

Gaming Control Board analyst Frank Streshley said that's been a growing problem in Southern Nevada since Arizona approved expanded table games at Indian casinos in February.

He said the northern part of the state, including Reno and Lake Tahoe casinos, has been losing table game revenues since June when Thunder Valley, a major tribal casino, opened near Auburn.

In Washoe County, slot win was off just 2 percent while table games went down 17 percent. Overall, that resulted in a 5.65 percent drop in win for the month to $90.57 million.

At Stateline, slot win was up 6 percent but game and table win dropped 19.7 percent compared with July 2002. Overall, Stateline casinos reported a 5.4 percent drop in total win to $39.86 million.

Even though overall win increased 7.4 percent in the Carson Valley area -- which includes not only the capital but valley portions of Douglas County -- a drop of 4.2 percent in table games had to be absorbed by the 8.6 percent increase in slot win. Carson casinos won $8.8 million in July.

"The effect has got to be Thunder Valley," Streshley said.

North Lake Tahoe casinos also reported a decrease in total win. But the 14.9 percent drop can be blamed on the Crystal Bay Lodge still being shuttered in July. That area should see its numbers rebound in the next monthly report because the club reopened under new ownership in August.

Streshley said game and table win has been soft in Southern Nevada since Arizona's expansion of table games at Indian casinos.

Casinos on the Las Vegas Strip reported an increase in game and table win of less than 1 percent, and other reporting areas in the south also showed relatively small increases.

"Apparently, it's affected game and table win more than slots," he said.

Casino operators say the state also had a smaller than expected crowd July 4. Streshley said a better turnout was expected since the country's birthday fell on a Friday this year, but it apparently didn't occur.

Southern Nevada casinos also saw baccarat win fall 25.6 percent compared to last year. Streshley said the total amount of money played increased 23 percent but the players were either smarter or luckier in July as the win percentage dropped from 23.76 percent in 2002 to 14.37 percent this year.