Iowa-regulated casinos report revenue increase 

DES MOINES (AP) ? Gambling revenue rose at Iowa?s 18 state-regulated casinos in the past 12 months and it appeared that the latest casino to open has gotten off to a strong start.

The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission reported last week that gambling revenue increased by 1.1 percent in the fiscal year that ended June 30 over the previous year. Total revenue in the last 12 months was nearly $1.38 billion.

?Things seem to be going in the right direction, but it has been slow, which I think is indicative of the entire economy,? Jack Ketterer, the commission?s administrator, told The Des Moines Register.

The owners of the Grand Falls Casino Resort also said the center near Larchwood in northwest Iowa had performed well since it opened three weeks ago.

The $120 million casino, which also includes an events center, hotel and golf course, saw huge crowds when it open last month, said Dan Kehl, chief executive officer of Kehl Management, which operates the casino.

?It was fun. It was crazy. It was a lot of people. It was interesting to just stand by the door and watch the reaction of people when they saw the facility,? Kehl said.

Preliminary research indicates about 80 percent of patrons were from out-of-state, especially from the nearby Sioux Falls, S.D., area. The casino?s six-mile distance from Sioux Falls, which has a metropolitan population of 228,000, was a big reason state officials approved a license for the center.

Across the state, Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino in the Des Moines suburb of Altoona had the top casino revenue, with $189.9 million. That was just ahead of the Horseshoe Casino in Council Bluffs, which had $189.2 million in gambling revenue.

Wes Ehrecke, president of the Iowa Gaming Association, said the increased revenue seems to be coming amid a slowly improving economy.

?I think people have more confidence with their discretionary dollars earmarked for entertainment,? Ehrecke said.

The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission?s report doesn?t include data from three Iowa casinos operated by American Indian tribes.