Hard Rock a hit with Indiana casino-goers in June

The Times Of Northwest Indiana
 
Hard Rock a hit with Indiana casino-goers in June
Wild Casino

Exciting games, delicious dining and a packed entertainment schedule continue to push the volume ever higher at the Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana.

Data released Wednesday by the Indiana Gaming Commission (IGC) show Hard Rock in June once again tallied more "win," or revenue after paying successful bettors, than any of the 11 other commercial casinos in the state for a 21st consecutive month.

Hard Rock notched $34.3 million in win last month — a 3.6% increase compared to its June 2022 win of $33.1 million, according to the IGC.

The Gary entertainment destination also accounted for nearly 18% of the state's $191.7 million in total casino win for the sixth month of 2023.

Matt Schuffert, president of Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana, described the earnings results as "a very solid month for Hard Rock," despite "the entire Northwest Indiana gaming market struggling overall."

"We kicked off a strong summer entertainment calendar, led by sold out shows with Kevin Hart and Halsey in June, further cementing us as a true entertainment destination," Schuffert said.

"We will continue to make changes to our gaming floor this summer, along with rolling out summer menus at most of our award-winning restaurants. We are adding additional parking spaces to our footprint, which will be available for use in early August."

Hard Rock's state-leading slot machine play totaled $252.1 million in June, with a state-best win of $24.9 million; compared to June 2022 slot win of $22.5 million on $225.2 million in play.

The Gary casino also led the state for June table game play, primarily baccarat, with $50.9 million, and was tops in table win at $9.4 million.

To put that in perspective, more money was wagered at Hard Rock table games in June than the tables at the three other Northwest Indiana casinos combined ($43 million), records show.

According to the IGC, the state's former earnings leader, Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, last month ranked third in the state behind its Horseshoe Indianapolis sister property with $23.2 million in win — down 17.9% from its June 2022 win of $28.3 million.

Monthly win at Ameristar Casino in East Chicago fell 2.9% to $15.7 million for June compared with $16.2 million for the same month in the prior year.

Last month's win at Blue Chip Casino, in Michigan City, totaled $10.4 million versus $10.5 million last June, a decrease of 0.6%, according to the IGC.

Meanwhile, the growth of sports wagering on Hoosiers' mobile devices and at sports books inside the state's casinos seems to have peaked as more of Indiana's neighboring states get into the game.

The statewide online and retail handle was just $224.1 million last month, compared with $256.3 million in June 2022. The all-time monthly record is $500.1 million from January 2022.

In total, Indiana in June collected $65.1 million in tax revenue from slot machine and table game play, and $1.8 million from settled sports wagers, according to the IGC.