Tuesday's Columbus Dispatch is reporting slots numbers at Scioto Downs that are sure to make officials there happy. The newspaper reports the 2,117 video lottery terminals at Scioto Downs made an average of $151 a day in December, while the average daily revenue per each of the 3,015 machines at Hollywood Columbus was $115 in December.
Scioto Downs opened its racino on June 19 while Hollywood Columbus, which is a full-blown casino with table games, opened on Oct. 8. The Dispatch reported the payout rate on the machines at Scioto Downs was 91.8 percent in December while at Hollywood Columbus is was 91.4 percent.
"We're seeing a slower ramp-up in slot volumes than we initially expected—especially in Columbus, to a lesser extent in Toledo—but we thought we'd be further ahead in slot volumes than we actually are,” Penn National president and CEO told Wall Street investors in a recent earnings call.
The Dispatch story also noted that Scioto Downs provided customers with $3.2 million in free slots play in December, with that number compiled by the Ohio Casino Control Commission. The number is reportedly about four times as much as Hollywood Columbus gave away.
"Our core value is to provide a value proposition for our guests,” Troy Buswell, general manager of the Scioto Downs casino, was quoted as saying.
Buswell added he believes the Columbus market is strong enough to support both venues.
"We don't want to get into a war. There are plenty of people in the Columbus area,” said Buswell. "Penn's a great operator, and we're very pleased to have them in the market with us, to help the market grow.”
To read the entire Columbus Dispatch story, please click here.
