CASINOS ARE DOING WELL IN MISSOURI

Gamblers are losing more money to Missouri casinos these days.

The latest figures from the Missouri Gaming Commission showed that gamblers in January lost $86 million at the state's casinos, 7 percent more than they lost in January 2000.

Weekends draw the heaviest crowds to casinos, so the fact that losses were up 7 percent despite there being one less weekend last January than in January a year ago is particularly striking.

In January, casinos in eastern Missouri took in $40.4 million in gambling losses, while in the Kansas City area, they received $40.4 million.

All kinds of reasons for the increased losses were given.

The overall economy has slowed, so the psychological thrill of gambling may be more alluring to some people as pessimism about daily life mounts, said a consumer economist at the University of Missouri-Columbia.

In other words, "If you've got nothing to lose, you might as well try to win," he said.

The president of the Missouri Riverboat Gaming Association suggested that as the economy tightens, some gamblers who usually go to Las Vegas or the Gulf Coast stay closer to home. So they headed instead to Missouri's casinos, he said.

Other reasons were cited for the increased losses.

In St. Louis, the President Casino pulled in nearly 10 percent of the money that gamblers lost at the five St. Louis-area casinos in January. But the top-money casino has relocated to the north to the more accessible Laclede's landing area, a move that was bound to have helped business.

At St. Charles, revenue at Ameristar bounced back after declining for three months. The casino took in 17 percent more in January than it did in January 2000.

On the west side of the state, Kansas City's Isle of Capri rang up its fourth-best revenue month ever.

Harrah's North Kansas City Casino & Hotel set market-share records in excess of 39 percent in November and December.

The gambling industry tries every year to get the Missouri General Assembly to lift the $500 loss limit on gamblers, which casino owners say would keep more high-stake gamblers in Missouri and further casino profit.

But if revenue continues to increase like they did in January, the industry will have even a harder time this year convincing anyone of the need to eliminate the loss limit.