Gaming revenue numbers delivered by the Nevada Gaming Control Board indicate Santa has come early to Nevada casinos. Statewide, the casinos' $889 million win represents an increase of nearly 11-percent over October of 2009. Santa was especially good to the Las Vegas Strip casinos that recorded an increase of 16-percent over revenues from the same period last year.
Downtown casino owners were seen dancing in the streets after the area experienced its first combined increase in 28 months (10-percent). The small casinos downtown offer low-limit table games and thousands of penny and nickel slots.
It's good to see Las Vegas has been forced back to an earlier time (like 20-years ago) when you could book a room for $29 and enjoy $6.95 steak dinners and the casinos were happy to draw their income from the casino.
Revenues in Northern Nevada rose more than 5-percent, but South Lake Tahoe casinos saw their revenue fall a like amount as the clubs continue to struggle for visitors, reflecting California's sluggish economy and competition from new casinos along the main highways from the San Francisco area.
On Highway 50, the main road into South Shore from California, the beautiful Red Hawk casino sits just 60-miles from the lake. The casino bills itself as "where Sacramento gambles," and that appears to be true. The effect on Nevada's state line casinos has been substantial.
If you noticed that the Horizon at South Shore had no table games and offered only slot machines the last time you visited, get ready for more changes. It is rumored that the slots will be gone by the end of December as the property goes through a metamorphosis to become a timeshare resort featuring golf and Tahoe events.
Santa is also rumored to be planning more trips around Nevada. Several casinos will get plenty of silver coins in their stockings, but Lake Tahoe casinos expect more coal in their stockings to buffet the cold and snowy winter. Good luck to all of them.
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