When those early settlers shared their meal with the locals and gave thanks for their safe arrival in the New World, they could not have foreseen that it would become a yearly tradition still celebrated from the heart, if increasingly commercially. Yesterday was the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States and casinos in places such as Cincinnati look forward to a good weekend. Once the turkey and pumpkin pie has been eaten thoughts turn to entertainment and by evening the casinos are getting busy. Traditionally Thanksgiving is a gathering of friends and relatives, so visitor numbers swell the ranks of players at the casinos.

The Thanksgiving weekend stretches from Wednesday night to Monday morning and casino operators are happy to make the most of it. Once the weekend is over business declines rapidly as most people are too busy with Christmas shopping and preparations to visit their local casino, or take a trip to play somewhere else. The month of December is very slow in the casino trade. Business does pick up again the week after Christmas when the festivities have begun to pall, but as a whole winter is a bad time for casinos.

The Indiana Gaming Commission has reported that the lowest monthly wins occur in December, January and February. In October the three riverboat casinos in southeast Indiana generated over $62 million in total revenue, reversing a slide in earnings since July. Between them, the Argosy Casino in Lawrenceburg, the Grand Victoria in Rising Sun and the Belterra in Vevey drew in around 647,000 visitors.

So, after a slow start yesterday while people ate at home with family and friends, the riverboats should have seen plenty of action at their tables and slot machines. Enough, they will hope, to take them through the lean winter months.

© Copyright 2004 CasinoCompendium



>>> return to archives
>>> return to frontpage