So much for the invigorating effect of Labor Day weekend. Even with a holiday, September in Illinois still saw a decline in casino revenue. Casinos in the Land of Lincoln were down 5% for the month. Foot traffic fell 2% and spending was off by 3%. MGM Resorts 
International‘s Grand Victoria ($14 million) continues to stage a comeback, though, up 4%. That was a rare bright spot in the northern tier of the state, where even Rivers Casino ($32 million) was 14% down. Harrah’s Joliet ($15 million) fell 13%, while Empress Joliet ($10 million) was up 10% but Penn National Gaming‘s Hollywood Aurora ($9 million) dove 7%. Out west, Jumer’s Casino Rock Island ($6 million) staged a rally, up 5%.
To the south, things were somewhat better, with Harrah’s Metropolis ($6.5 million, up 4%) enjoying a positive month, while the percentage declines at Par-A-Dice ($7 million), Argosy Alton ($4 million) and Casino Queen ($8 million) were almost negligible. It’s a miracle that the Illinois casino industry can hang in there and even sometimes thrive, considering that its being leeched by slot routes and is under siege by expansion-mad legislators like Reps. Robert Rita (D) and Lou Lang (D), the two horsemen of the racino apocalypse.
* According to ESPN, daily fantasy sports giant DraftKings has conducted an internal investigation of itself and found no wrongdoing. Gee, I’m sure glad that’s all cleared up. Oh, wait.
* The prospect of that third tribal casino in Connecticut has MGM Resorts International running scared. Shoving MGM Springfield off the front burner, the company says it is “ready, willing and able” to build in Connecticut, preferably in Bridgeport. This isn’t just craven, it’s dishonorable, especially at a time when Springfield is having to swallow a downsized version of the pleasure palace MGM promised.
* Boston Mayor Martin Walsh‘s habit of litigating against Steve Wynn through the media may have finally bit him in the ass. Wynn is suing an as-yet-undisclosed individual for leaking subpoenas. Wynn had already fired a warning shot across Walsh’s bow, writing him to cease and desist “a campaign of falsehoods against [Wynn] and to apologize for the irreparable damage you have already caused.”
Wynn’s attorney, Barry Langberg had already scolded Walsh for trying his case in the court of public opinion, writing, “These 
subpoenas were provided to the press even before they were served. The false statements in these documents are extremely damaging to Wynn.” He added that Walsh’s civil complaint was rife with “a number of false statements and untrue innuendo.”
As Wynn himself has said, nobody “should be subjected to the defamatory political abuse that we have experienced.” But Walsh is an inveterate crybaby who’s clearly determined to fight Wynn to the bitter end. It would only serve him right if El Steve opened a can of legal whup-ass on him. In the meantime, Wynn Resorts has to get some access acreage out of escrow after it was determined that the transfer from the MBTA was premature and violated the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act. That’s a more concrete threat to Wynn Everett than Walsh’s buffoonery.
