While its competitors dealt with a variety of revenue declines, despite posting a record amount of revenue, Horseshoe Baltimore was up in March, grossing a best-yet $25 
million. On a statewide basis, revenue was 17% higher last month. However, casinos not named “Horseshoe” bore a collective 15% revenue decline. From the standpoint of Caesars Entertainment, Horseshoe continues to disappoint, coming up short of revenue projections of $31 million a month. The fact that it’s growing the Maryland market must provide some consolation, though.
Those March numbers at Horseshoe certainly weren’t hurt by the World Series of Poker‘s inaugural visit to the casino. It also benefited from lax scrutiny of its liquor policies. Elsewhere, Maryland Live slipped 15%, its gross falling from $62 million to $52 million year/year. Hollywood Casino Perryville was down 18%. The little casinos fared best, with Ocean Downs and Rocky Gap Casino Resort both only 3% off the pace.
* Idaho Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter was able to charm six state senators into changing their adverse view of “instant racing,” giving him the votes to uphold his veto of a prospective banishment of the game from the state. Otter’s veto was cloaked in some dubious 
constitutionality but is likely to stand all the same. And Idaho’s three horse tracks that host instant racing can breathe a sigh of relief now that their collective 250 quasi-slot machines have been spared.
Perhaps Otter allayed the vote-changing senators with his vow to both put a moratorium on additional machines and have a special prosecutor probe the legality of those currently in play (even though his veto could be interpreted as a legitimization of them). He added, “I neither expected nor desired it to supplant live horse racing in Idaho, and it is my firm intention to limit and restrict this type of gambling in Idaho to race tracks.” Otter “turned his back on the Legislature and Idahoans in order to protect his friends and financiers,” contended the Coeur d’Alene Tribe‘s chairman, although he didn’t sound as though he’d be suing the governor for his actions.
* Final approvals have been received for the merger of International Game Technology and GTECH. CEO Marco Sala tries to allay fears of job losses in Reno … without getting pinned down into too many firm commitments.
