CASINOS CONTINUE FLOATING

There will be no permanent dockside gambling in Illinois over the next year.

Illinois riverboat casinos will continue cruising after a plan to allow dockside gambling failed in the final hours of the legislature's fall session last week.

A House committee blocked the proposals after it had cleared both a Senate committee and the full Senate, 32 to 25.

The proposal, which failed to clear the House committee, would have eliminated the cruising requirement and allowed visitors to come and go from the boats as they please.

Currently, the floating casinos are required to cruise at least an hour of each two-hour cycle, with a half-hour permitted each cycle for loading.

Missouri riverboat casinos differ in regulations. They don't have to float, but they are limited in boarding times, to 45 minutes for each two-hour cycle.

Total revenue for Illinois casinos in October topped $85 million, led by the Grand Victorian's $20.5 million, up from the $19.7 million recorded in October 1996. More than 2 million people visited the Illinois riverboat casinos, with more than 300,000 at Elgin, closest casino to the Chicago area.

The total revenue for Missouri's 11 sites in October was $64 million, which is up from the October 1996 revenue of $48 million. Each gambler lost an average of $20.03 in October in Missouri. This compares to $43 per visitor to Illinois boats.

Three of four casinos in the Riverport complex at Maryland Heights increased their revenues in October, but the $11.99 million the complex earned still fell short of the $12.38 million generated by the Harrah's two-casino complex in North Kansas City, according to the Missouri Gaming Commission's report, issued last week.

The Harrah's Mardi Gras North Kansas City casino generated the largest revenue, $6.56 million, in the state. Its sister casino, Harrah's North Star, generated the second-largest revenue, $5.83 million.

October earnings for other Missouri casinos, some of which did not exist at this time last year, were:

-- Argosy gaming in Riverside, $5.34 million, down from $5.66 million in October 1996.

-- Kansas City Station Casino River King, $5.33 million, up from $5.02 million in September. Kansas City Station Casino River Queen, $4.62 million, down from $4.93 million in September.

-- Casino St. Charles, $4.14 million, down from $5.16 million in October 1996. Casino St. Charles II, $5.21 million, down from $6.31 million in October 1996.

-- President on the Admiral in St. Louis, $4.87 million, down from $5.66 million in October 1996.

-- Hilton Flamingo in Kansas City, $3.63 million, up from $3.52 million in September.

-- Player's Kokomo in Maryland Heights $3.39 million, up from $3.12 million in September. Player's Grand Cayman Casino in Maryland Heights, $2.45 million, down from $2.46 million in September.

-- Sam's Town Casino in Kansas City, $3.36 million, down from $5.22 million in October 1996.

-- Harrah's Mardi Gras Casino in Maryland Heights, $3.20 million, up from $2.99 million in September. Harrah's Easy Street Casino in Maryland Heights, $2.96 million, up from $2.72 million in September.

-- Casino Aztar in Caruthersville, $1.68 million, down from $1.72 million in September.

-- St. Jo Frontier Casino in St. Joseph, $1.46 million, down from $1.57 million in October 1996.

Casino Aztar had the highest earnings per gambler, $30.90, and Player's Grand Cayman in Maryland Heights had the lowest earnings per gambler, $16.31.

October earnings for other Illinois casinos:

-- Alton Belle II at Alton, $5.09 million, 171,510 admissions, down from $5.5 million in October of 1996.

-- Par-A-Dice at East Peoria, $8.3 million, 215,955 admissions, up from $7.6 million in October of 1996.

-- Casino Rock Island at Rock Island, $1.2 million, 53,239 admissions, about the same as October 1996.

-- Empress I and Empress II, at Joliet, $11.5 million, 291,172 admissions, up from $10.7 million in October of 1996.

-- Players Casino at Metropolis, $6.7 million, 181,604 admissions, up from $6.4 million in October of 1996.

-- Harrah's North Star and Southern Star, at Joliet, $12.7 million, 241,928 admission, up from $12.0 million in October of 1996.

-- Hollywood City of Lights I and City of Lights II, at Aurora, $12.7 million, 292,914 admissions, up from $11.7 million in October of 1996.

-- Casino Queen at East St. Louis, $9.4 million, 283,470 admissions, down from $9.5 million in October of 1996.