Comments on: Indiana casinos luring Illinois gamers big-time http://elginite.org/blog/2009/04/20/indiana-casinos-luring-illinois-gamers-big-time/ Sat, 11 Feb 2012 06:37:03 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: Bruce http://elginite.org/blog/2009/04/20/indiana-casinos-luring-illinois-gamers-big-time/#comment-47259 Bruce Sun, 03 May 2009 18:32:55 +0000 http://elginite.org/blog/2009/04/20/indiana-casinos-luring-illinois-gamers-big-time/#comment-47259 Ismoke and the smoking ban isn't the problem. Either is the economy. The real problem is the pay-out. I play small machines and $100.00 lasts about 20 minutes. That's expensive entertainment. Years ago i could play for hours on a couple of hundred bucks and sometimes even win. Greed by the state and casino owners may be what is bringing them down. I think yhey are milking the cash cow to death. Ismoke and the smoking ban isn’t the problem. Either is the economy. The real problem is the pay-out. I play small machines and $100.00 lasts about 20 minutes. That’s expensive entertainment. Years ago i could play for hours on a couple of hundred bucks and sometimes even win. Greed by the state and casino owners may be what is bringing them down. I think yhey are milking the cash cow to death.

]]> By: Bob http://elginite.org/blog/2009/04/20/indiana-casinos-luring-illinois-gamers-big-time/#comment-47137 Bob Tue, 21 Apr 2009 02:25:20 +0000 http://elginite.org/blog/2009/04/20/indiana-casinos-luring-illinois-gamers-big-time/#comment-47137 Why not buy a casino and make it smoke free? Why not buy a casino and make it smoke free?

]]> By: RS http://elginite.org/blog/2009/04/20/indiana-casinos-luring-illinois-gamers-big-time/#comment-47133 RS Mon, 20 Apr 2009 19:53:22 +0000 http://elginite.org/blog/2009/04/20/indiana-casinos-luring-illinois-gamers-big-time/#comment-47133 <blockquote> "Statewide for the year, we had almost a 21 percent drop from 2008 to 2009, and in the northern area it was even high than that," said Tom Swoik, executive director of the Illinois Casino Gaming Association. "We believe that a majority of it is because of the smoking ban." Gaming statewide in Indiana shows only single-digit declines according to Swoik, this despite increased competition from two new horse-racing tracks with slots... </blockquote> The article also describes how the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond saw a large increase in revenue attributable to its improved facilities. All I can say is that I've driven through Hammond on the highway, and that's about as close as I want to get to that city. It's disappointing to see declining numbers for the Elgin riverboat, but maybe they need to take a lesson from the Horseshoe and upgrade their facilities. The economy and the smoking ban are probably both having an effect, and I'm sure the casinos will ask the state to revisit the smoking ban, but legislators should stay firm. It's not worth trading people's health for money.

“Statewide for the year, we had almost a 21 percent drop from 2008 to 2009, and in the northern area it was even high than that,” said Tom Swoik, executive director of the Illinois Casino Gaming Association. “We believe that a majority of it is because of the smoking ban.”

Gaming statewide in Indiana shows only single-digit declines according to Swoik, this despite increased competition from two new horse-racing tracks with slots…

The article also describes how the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond saw a large increase in revenue attributable to its improved facilities. All I can say is that I’ve driven through Hammond on the highway, and that’s about as close as I want to get to that city.

It’s disappointing to see declining numbers for the Elgin riverboat, but maybe they need to take a lesson from the Horseshoe and upgrade their facilities.

The economy and the smoking ban are probably both having an effect, and I’m sure the casinos will ask the state to revisit the smoking ban, but legislators should stay firm. It’s not worth trading people’s health for money.

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