Northwest Indiana’s three casinos reported revenues of $72.3 million in November, which is a slight decrease from the previous year’s November, where revenues were $73.1 million, according to the Indiana Gaming Commission’s monthly gaming report.
Hard Rock Northern Indiana reported a slight increase in earnings with about $37.3 million reported in November, an increase over November 2023 with a reported $37.2 million, according to the report.
Matt Schuffert, president of Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana, said November saw a small increase year over year for the casino. Casino players won some larger jackpots in November, he said.
The weather the week before Thanksgiving was snowy and cold, Schuffert said, which impacted casino attendance. But the Thanksgiving holiday weekend saw an increase in attendance, he said.
“Certainly a great month in November. We’re excited to see the trends continue,” Schuffert said.
Wind Creek Chicago Southland in Hazel Crest, which opened in November, ranked fifth last month among Illinois’ 16 casinos with nearly $10.2 million in adjusted gross receipts. Meanwhile, Bally’s Chicago saw declines for November.
Schuffert said it’s hard to speculate how competitors, particularly Wind Creek’s opening, may have impacted Hard Rock’s November revenues.
“I can only judge by how we perform and the markets perform. We continued to have growth this November,” Schuffert said. “It’s hard for me to speculate how a new competitor may or may not impact the market.”
In November, Ameristar Casino in East Chicago reported a win of $13.4 million while Horseshoe Hammond reported $21.6 million. Those figures compared to $13.1 million and $22.8 million in wins respectively for November 2023, according to the report.
Hard Rock and Ameristar saw decreases in revenue while Horseshoe Hammond saw increases in revenue from October to November, according to the report.
Hard Rock reported $38.9 million in October and $37.3 million in November, while Ameristar Casino reported $13.9 million in October and $13.4 million in November. Horseshoe Hammond reported $20.6 million in October and $21.6 million in November, according to the report.
Looking ahead to December, Schuffert said it’s tricky to predict next month’s revenues because attendance fluctuates amid the holiday season.
Typically, volumes fluctuate ahead of Christmas, but through New Year’s Eve volumes pick up, Schuffert said. This year, New Year’s Eve is on a Tuesday, which isn’t ideal, but people will likely look to Hard Rock as a place to ring in the new year, he said.
“Early indications, volumes are very strong,” Schuffert said. “We’re excited, with New Year’s Eve on the horizon here, we’re going to say goodbye to our strong 2024 and we’re excited for 2025.”
akukulka@post-trib.com
