State casinos say business is up

ST. LOUIS -- More Missourians are gambling, and they are spending a lot more money at the casinos, figures from the Missouri Gaming Commission showed Thursday.

The monthly revenue report showed that admissions in December were up 20 percent compared to December 2000, as 4.17 million people visited the gambling boats, compared to 3.48 million a year earlier. That number is helped by the fact that two new casinos opened last year, the Mark Twain Casino in the northeast Missouri town La Grange in July, and the Isle of Capri Casino in Boonville in December.

Nearly $103.4 million was lost by gamblers at the state's casinos in December, up 30 percent from $79.6 million a year ago. The average gambler lost $54.23.

Revenues jumped sharply at several casinos. Only Harrah's North Kansas City reported a decline. It's revenues fell to $16.82 million from $16.90 million, a decline of less than 1 percent. Still, it was the fourth straight month of decline.

Many of those lost patrons may have been gambling at Isle of Capri Casino in Kansas City. The casino took in $8 million in December, up 74 percent from the $4.59 million it earned a year earlier. Isle of Capri revenues were up 143 percent in November.

The President Casino in downtown St. Louis saw revenue jump 43 percent to $5.37 million from $4.44 million. The President's revenues have risen significantly since it moved early last year from near the Gateway Arch a short ways up river to the Laclede's Landing area.

Another St. Louis area casino, Ameristar St. Charles, had an increase of 40 percent, to $13 million from $9.3 million.

The Harrah's casino in the St. Louis suburb Maryland Heights is the state's leading moneymaker, with revenue of $23.09 million last month, up 17 percent from the $19.79 million generated the previous December.