Debate continues on admission numbers
Jump to full article: Illinois River Bend Telegraph, 2008-03-23
Author: LINDA N. WELLER The Telegraph
Intro: Debate continues as to why admission numbers are dropping at most gaming boats in Illinois, including the Argosy Casino in Alton, and whether gamblers who smoke are fleeing to Missouri.
Tom Swoik, executive director of the Springfield-based Illinois Casino Gaming Association, earlier this month said the state's new ban on smoking at public places that went into effect Jan. 1 is largely responsible for the drop in gaming boat admissions.
The Illinois Gaming Board's figures for February 2008 for all nine casinos showed eight of them recording lower revenues than in February 2007, with an average decrease of 12.88 percent. Alton's comparative drop was the largest, 24.93 percent. . . .
anonymous telephone calls to The Telegraph accusing Argosy of tightening up its slot machines to reduce payout amounts apparently aren't reflected in recent numbers from the Illinois Gaming Board. According to the board's official numbers, adjusted gross receipts (AGR) from electronic gaming devices (EGD) are down at Argosy from $9.9 million last August to $7.51 million in January.
AGRs are casino wins, or the gross gaming receipts minus winnings paid to bettors.
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