Casino visits up in Cape Girardeau, down statewide

More people visited Isle Casino Cape Girardeau in February than in any month since it opened. About 20,000 more people were admitted than in January, an increase of about 25 percent. However, casino visits statewide are down compared to the same month last year.

Visitors reported by Isle Casino Cape Girardeau in February were 103,022, compared to 82,723 in January. The casino collected an average of $64.25 from each of those patrons, up from $58.62 the previous month.

The Missouri Gaming Commission released a monthly earnings report Monday for all 13 casinos in the state. The report tracks visitors to casino operations in two categories. "Patrons" refers to the number of people who come through the turnstiles to the casino floor. "Admissions" means the number of two-hour increments documented for each visitor, which is calculated by tracking the time and number of patrons exiting, according to commission public information coordinator LeAnn McCarthy.

Admissions to Isle Casino Cape Girardeau for February were 236,154. In January, admissions were 187,440. Per patron, the admission rate in February was 2.29, up from 2.25 in January, suggesting visitors stayed slightly longer last month.

Isle Casino Cape Girardeau opened in October, so there are no numbers available for a year-to-year comparison. Looking at establishment visits for the 12 other casinos statewide, every property showed a loss in visitors and revenue. Decreases in patron visits last month compared to the same month in 2012 ranged from 3 to 20 percent, with an overall average decrease of 6 percent. Revenue declines ranged from 3 to 21 percent, with an overall average of 6 percent. The largest declines in visitors and in revenue were both seen at the Isle of Capri Lady Luck in Caruthersville, Mo.

Isle Casino Cape Girardeau had gross receipts, minus winnings paid, of $6.6 million in February from its table games and slot machines, up 36 percent from January. Of money wagered on slot machines, the casino won $5,751,339 before taxes. Players risked $3,794,997 on table games such as blackjack and poker, and the casino kept $867,446 before taxes.

The casino paid 21 percent, $1.39 million, of its winnings in taxes and paid $472,308 in admission fees to the state. In January, $1.02 million in taxes and $372,716 in fees were paid.

Missouri law requires casinos pay a $2-per-person admission fee to state and local governments per two-hour period of time spent in the facility, so a person who stays four hours counts as two admissions.

Ten percent of the total state taxes and half of the admission fees paid by the casino -- about $375,000 -- will go to the city of Cape Girardeau.

salderman@semissourian.com

388-3646

Pertinent address:

777 N. Main St., Cape Girardeau, MO