Modest gaming win increase reported on LV Strip

CARSON CITY -- Players chasing the record Megabucks jackpot and the growing popularity of the new multiple nickel slot machine pushed Nevada's casino win in July up 4.2 percent from a year ago, although casinos on the Las Vegas Strip and the Reno area experienced increases of only a little more than 1 percent.

The total statewide win for July was $536 million, including $55.4 million generated in downtown Las Vegas. July is the third straight month that downtown registered an increase, with slot play up 7.5 percent. Downtown's total increase was 2.6 percent, after factoring in decreases from table games.

In North Las Vegas, gross revenue reached $15.3 million, up 19 percent, the board reported. In five of the seven months this year in North Las Vegas, the win has registered double-digit increases. Slot win in July jumped 21.3 percent and game and table gross revenue grew 6.1 percent.

"It was not a bad month," said Russell Guindon, senior research analyst for the Gaming Control Board. "The story, as it has been for the past five months, is the strength on the slot side, which was up 8.9 percent, and the game and table win, down 3.3 percent."

The Megabucks jackpot in July was approaching $20 million. Guindon said casino win on Megabucks, before taxes and business expenses, reached $12 million, up 622 percent from a year ago.

The Megabucks jackpot today is more than $21 million. Guindon said the last jackpot was paid a year ago at a Lake Tahoe casino for more than $8 million.

Play in the nickel slot machines grew by 36 percent to $70.7 million in July. "The strength is in the multi-coin machines," Guindon said. "You can bet up to 45 coins" in a single play.

With the home-run heroics of Mark McGuire, baseball is experiencing a boom in attendance but that's not carrying over to the betting crowd. The board reported $1.6 million in casino winnings from baseball wagering, down 38.2 percent. One factor, according to some books, is the continued winning streaks of some teams like the New York Yankees.

The major soft spot in the gaming economy was baccarat, where casino winnings fell 25.6 percent.

The board reported that Strip casinos won $326.8 million, up 1 percent. "It was one of the weaker markets in Clark County but that's not a surprise because baccarat is a factor," Guindon said. Winnings from baccarat fell by 23.5 percent. Slot win grew by 8.8 percent while game and table win was off 5.8 percent.

The modest increase offset two straight months of declining gross win on the Strip.

Casinos on Boulder Highway reported winnings of $41.9 million, up 15.7 percent. Guindon said that figure includes revenues from The Reserve in Henderson, which was not in operation a year ago. Slot win rose 17.6 percent and game and table revenues were up 5.2 percent.

And for the fourth consecutive month, gross revenue from Laughlin casinos increased. It registered $38.9 million, up 4.7 percent. That's the highest percentage gain since October 1997 when the revenues were up 5.8 percent. Winnings from slot machines jumped 5.4 percent and table revenue inched up 1.6 percent.

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