Horseshoe Casino posts its best revenue month

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Horseshoe Casino posts its best revenue month

Horseshoe Casino Baltimore, which just celebrated its first anniversary, recorded its best month for revenue in August, according to figures released Friday by state gambling regulators.

The Caesars property reported combined revenues of $27.5 million from slots and table games. The casino, which opened Aug. 26, 2014, had not topped $25 million in any previous month.

Analysts say the $442 million casino was hurt by the city's unrest in April, which also affected attendance at other city attractions.

Horseshoe, which is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and holidays, was forced to close for the first time when Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake ordered a curfew.

The casino said it had been on track for its best month in April, but "the need to close for several consecutive nights during peak hours had a significant impact on our monthly revenues."

After subpar months in April and May, Horseshoe's revenue increased in June and July.

The latest gains "demonstrate the market is responding to our wide range of amenities and unique entertainment offerings," Horseshoe general manager Chad Barnhill said Friday in a statement.

"We are pleased that our financial performance continues to trend in a positive direction and that our August results represent our best monthly revenues to date," Barnhill said.

Barnhill had said Horseshoe needed time to adapt to the Baltimore market. He said the casino took advantage of the local popularity of table games by adding 30 of them earlier this year.

Analysts say year-over-year comparisons are the most illuminating because they account for seasonal fluctuations. But Horseshoe wasn't open for most of August 2014, so no such comparison can be made.

Two of Maryland's other casinos — Maryland Live and Hollywood Casino Perryville — saw August revenues decrease from a year earlier.

Maryland Live, the state's largest casino, reported August revenues of $52.1 million, down 9.1 percent. Its gross gambling revenue per unit per day — what the casino keeps after players collect their winnings — was also down, although it remained ahead of its Maryland competitors. A Maryland Live spokeswoman could not immediately be reached for comment.

Hollywood Perryville's revenue fell 10.8 percent to $6.5 million.

Casino at Ocean Downs' revenue increased 2.3 percent, to $6.0 million.

Rocky Gap Casino Resort's revenue was up 3.6 percent, to $4.4 million.

Overall, revenue at the state's casinos was $96.7 million, $2.2 million shy of the record high.

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