Casino revenues rebounding from pandemic

CASINO NUMBERS REBOUND: Iowa’s 19 state-licensed casinos posted more than $160.54 million in adjusted gross receipts in April, more evidence that they are rebounding from the COVID-19 pandemic that forced them to close their doors for 11 weeks.

Data posted by the state Racing and Gaming Commission on Thursday showed year-to-date adjusted gross receipts stood at $1.275 billion, which already have topped last fiscal year’s $1.163 billion in receipts, with two months left in the current fiscal year.

Those numbers compare to receipts of $1.457 billion in fiscal 2019.

“April numbers are extremely strong,” Commission Administrator Brian Ohorilko said. “We believed we would see high attendance and play based on the record numbers we witnessed in March. April numbers are down slightly from March. However, April 2021 is approximately $37 million higher than April 2019.”

Attendance still lags for the year — at 13,310,253 — but April topped 1.54 million visitors as a sign Iowans are starting to do more activities as they get COVID-19 vaccinations.

The state has taken in nearly $253.4 million in gambling tax revenue so far in fiscal 2021.

Commission officials expect to release April’s sports-betting data Friday.

— The Gazette