Casino sees dip in admissions to end 2022

Jan. 27—Missouri casinos, including the one in St. Joseph, saw fewer gamblers spending money in the second half of 2022.

Financial reports from the Missouri Gaming Commission show that 11 of 13 casino properties experienced a drop in admissions from July through December of 2022. That includes an 8% decline at the St. Jo Frontier Casino, which reported admissions of 377,982. Those numbers mark the first half of a fiscal year that runs from July to June.

The commission's revenue report offered more of a mixed bag, with five facilities posting gains and one remaining even compared to the previous six-month period. Those that saw a dip in year-over-year revenue reported a decline that wasn't as steep as what they experienced with admissions, meaning those who showed up tended to drop more at the casino.

In St. Joseph, the Frontier Casino reported six-month revenue of $23.1 million, a 2% decrease from the previous year.

"We've seen a steady decline in admissions, meaning the number of people that come on board or how long they've been staying there, but the revenues have been up," said Mike Leara, the chairman of the Missouri Gaming Commission. "So it's a larger gambler in there, or people spending more money."

Leara said the industry seems healthy and has largely weathered the pandemic, although casinos are hoping to see a benefit from legislation that would allow sports gambling at riverboat facilities. Efforts to pass similar bills stalled in the past over disagreements about what to do with unregulated video gambling machines that have popped up in bars, truck stops and convenience stores across the state.

Leara said the commission doesn't advocate for legislation but is prepared to exercise its regulatory authority for what might be coming in the future.

"The casinos really feel that their revenue growth is going to come from expanding gaming, such as sports betting," he said.

Statewide numbers showed that overall casino admissions were down 5% and revenue was even. The biggest decline came at the Century Casino in Caruthersville, Missouri, which saw a 17% drop in admissions and a 16% slide in revenue. The biggest gainers were River City in St. Louis with 4% admissions growth and Bally's Kansas City with a 5% revenue increase.

Greg Kozol can be reached at greg.kozol@newspressnow.com. Follow him on Twitter: @NPNowKozol.