EVANSVILLE— Casino Aztar saw its monthly revenue drop 4 percent in December, though it still outperformed its closest regional competitors.
The Evansville casino brought in $9.3 million in revenue last month, down 4 percent as compared to a year earlier.
The numbers come from the Indiana Gaming Commission's December revenue report, which was released Tuesday. The report details how much each of the state's casinos earned in revenue and paid in taxes, as well as how many people visited the casinos and how much they wagered.
Aztar General Manager Ward Shaw said he's pleased at December's results, especially as compared with ccasinos in French Lick and in Metropolis, Ill.
French Lick's casino brought in $6.7 million in revenue last month, a drop of 10 percent year over year. And according to a report from the Illinois Gaming Board, the Harrah's casino in Metropolis brought in $7 million in December — down 19 percent as compared to a year earlier.
"We're excited that the numbers show us that more guests are choosing us and liking the ongoing experience improvements we continue to make in Evansville compared to other regional destinations," Shaw said.
Shaw also noted that Aztar's business was disrupted last month by both hotel renovations and weather.
Aztar recently completed a major hotel renovation project which forced it to take rooms out of service for upgrades. The hotel lost more than 1,500 room nights in December as a result, Shaw said.
The snowstorm that hit Dec. 26 also had a negative impact on the month's figures, Shaw said.
Indiana's casinos brought in a combined $209.5 million in revenue last month — a year-over-year drop of 4 percent.
Also according to the report, Aztar had 92,216 visitors in December, down 9 percent year over year. Indiana's casinos saw a combined 1.8 million visitors, a drop of 13 percent as compared with a year ago.
Indiana's casinos pay taxes based on both the number of people who visit and the amount those people wager. Aztar paid $2.5 million in admission and wagering taxes last month.