Casinos' monthly revenue drops again
By Joanne Kelley, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Published May 16, 2008 at 1:37 p.m.
Updated May 16, 2008 at 1:37 p.m.
Colorado’s mountain casinos reported declining revenues for the fourth straight month since a smoking ban took effect, the state’s gaming division reported Friday.
April revenues dropped about 12.5 percent to $58.7 million vs. the same month last year. In Black Hawk, whose casinos draw most of Colorado’s gaming business, monthly proceeds fell $11.7 million to $42.3 million.
Cripple Creek revenues dropped about 13.3 percent to roughly $10.7 million, while Central City casino proceeds fell 16.7 percent to $5.7 million.
Post your comment
Registration is required. Click here to create your free user account, or login below.
Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.
Featured
-
Broncos Game Action
Click for more game action photos from Invesco field.
-
2008 Race for the Cure
The 16th Annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.
-
Rocky Multimedia
The news comes alive in our videos and slide shows. Catch up on today's events.
-
A dream fulfilled
A Rocky Mountain News and MediaStorm production
-
Presidential Elections
See how Colorado counties have voted through the years.
-
County election profiles
A look at how residents in each Colorado county may vote.
-
A Dozen on Denver
Connie Willis is the featured author this week in 'A Dozen on Denver'
-
Rocky Truth Patrol
Reporters Laura Frank and Katie Kerwin McCrimmon hunt for truth in politics.
-
Peak Picks
Submit your fall foliage photos to our contest and vote on other submissions.
May 16, 2008
2:12 p.m.
Suggest removal
Buckwheat writes:
Looks like that new no smoking law effected their revenew after all.
May 16, 2008
2:17 p.m.
Suggest removal
MarineGrunt writes:
And let me guess who gets to make up for the tax shortfall?
Thanks to the politicians.. they got the Anti Smoking guild vote now they can tax us with a great excuse!
Way to go, Heath Nazi's!!!
May 16, 2008
2:41 p.m.
Suggest removal
Fred writes:
No one, not even those that sold the smoking ban, is surprised that revenues have fallen off over ten percent.
They were lying when they were getting the ban passed.
The sad part is that other states are doing the exact same thing and telling the exact same lies.
May 16, 2008
2:50 p.m.
Suggest removal
DahmersCookbook writes:
Time to start banking on A "Smoking license". The Casino that does would have A startling boom. Just like bars that still allow smoking or are exempt. People of all walks are at these bars, not just the locals, making them more lucrative than ever.
May 16, 2008
3:02 p.m.
Suggest removal
MtnRooster writes:
Perhaps it is the RECESSION as well. Yes it is fun to scream RECESSION!
May 16, 2008
3:05 p.m.
Suggest removal
Blue writes:
Hmmm...I wonder what happened to all of those people that were going to rush to fill the casinos once all of those nasty smokers were banished? I know several people that work up in Blackhawk and they all say that business, and their tips, are down. Thanks Stephanie Stevens.
May 16, 2008
3:06 p.m.
Suggest removal
CWW writes:
Yeah, now the employees will be healthy, but ooops, out of work.
May 16, 2008
5:34 p.m.
Suggest removal
randyj01 writes:
All this because of smoking? How about the price of gas and everything else that has gone up in price lately? Get over the smoking ban already!!! If you can't go without a few hours without your precious cigarette you have more problems than you think.
May 16, 2008
6:36 p.m.
Suggest removal
Chadley25 writes:
My heart is breaking for them, truly. Gas is nearing $4 a gallon, food prices are through the roof, the housing market is collapsing, unemployment is up... but the casinos didn't make QUITE as much money last month as they did in April 2007. Cry me a river. It's not like these people are losing their jobs or their shirts... casinos posted nearly 60 MILLION DOLLARS in revenue in one month. I wish I was suffering so much!
May 16, 2008
7:35 p.m.
Suggest removal
phoneman writes:
I really wish all the pro-smoking people would just go hide in a cave somewhere. They are going to use the smoking ban as the excuse no matter what. It MUST be the smoking bad that caused the revenue decline. It couldn't have anything to do with the overall economy - wink wink. GET A LIFE.
May 16, 2008
8:09 p.m.
Suggest removal
ecniv writes:
Rooster hit it on the head. Recession. Plain and simple. Everyone is holding onto their cash a little tighter these days.
May 16, 2008
8:29 p.m.
Suggest removal
me2 writes:
Looks like the smokers deserted these little "mom and pop" casinos. Can`t be the economy. Those of us non smokers who said we would go there, well that wasn`t a blood oath, we didn`t promise and cross our hearts. But I did think the smokers would hang tough.
May 16, 2008
8:37 p.m.
Suggest removal
dillard writes:
Of course it's the economy. I don't go to consinos because the odds of winning aren't much better than lottery tickets (a retirement plan for the mathmatically challenged).However I do smoke. That isn't gambling, it's a sure thing. I'll eventually die because of my habit. Still, If I wanted to play the slots or whatever in Blackhawk I could go without a cigarette long enough to lose a few bucks. I assume I could go outside and light up, or is against the law to smoke in the open air?
Revenue may also be down because people are finally becoming wise to the fact that the odds favor the casinos. I only hope the same thing is going on in Vegas. Shutting down Vegas would save vast amounts of energy just in electricity alone.