Online gambling

Hoosier Park posted the lowest numbers of its short history in September with wagering taxes down almost half a million and revenue down $1.8 million from August.

 

The casino, which opened June 2, still paid more than $3.8 million in taxes to the state and collected more than $15 million in revenue in September, according to the Indiana Gaming Commission. The drop coincided with a statewide fall in gaming revenue.

 

The slump isn't enough to force Hoosier Park to cut back on services or staff numbers, said Jim Brown, the racino's general manager for gaming.

 

"We're going to try and ride this out, but with today's economy, it's challenging," Brown said. "Nationally, gaming revenues are stagnant. We've seen gaming bankruptcies and new expansion projects stopped or delayed."

 

Less betting at Hoosier Park also means less tax revenue for Madison County governments. Three percent of the casino's revenue is put toward local governments, and the city of Anderson has already had to consider ways to make up gaming revenues that have not met budgeted expectations, according to previously published reports in The Herald Bulletin.

 

Although the economy played a role in hurting casino activity, Brown said, some of September's lower draw can be attributed to August being a longer month, having more weekend days and being in the summer when more people visit casinos.