Mild weather helped Tropicana Evansville post strong numbers in December, the casino’s general manager says.
The casino’s revenue from slot machines and table games was $10.1 million last month, up 6 percent from the previous year.
Tropicana’s attendance rose 10 percent, to 97,727.
The numbers come from the Indiana Gaming Commission’s monthly casino revenue report, which was released Thursday. The report details, among other things: how many people visited Indiana casinos last month; how much they wagered; and how much each facility earned in gambling revenue.
Jason Gregorec, Tropicana’s general manager, said last month’s weather conditions helped boost the casino’s performance.
“The weather was very mild this December,” he said.
According to the National Weather Service, Evansville’s average daily temperature last month was 40 degrees, with only a trace of snow reported. In December 2013, the average daily temperature was 35 degrees, with a reported 7.2 inches of snow.
Tropicana’s main casino competitors are the French Lick Casino in Southern Indiana, and the Harrah’s casino in Metropolis, Illinois.
French Lick’s gambling revenue rose 13 percent last month, to $6.3 million. Visitation rose 14 percent, to 72,078.
Harrah’s Metropolis saw its gambling revenue rise 29 percent last month, to $7.5 million. Its visitation rose 60 percent, to 68,119.
Gregorec attributed Harrah’s strong showing to the casino operating in a new facility. Harrah’s recently moved from a riverboat to a land-based facility.
Statewide, Indiana’s casinos saw a combined 1.5 million guests in December, up 4 percent from a year earlier. The casinos earned a combined $182.9 million in gambling revenue, up 3 percent.