Indiana casinos see $221.7M in revenue in April, led by Hard Rock for 7th month in a row

According to data released Thursday by the Indiana Gaming Commission, Hard Rock Northern Indiana in Gary was the highest-earning casino in the state in April for the seventh consecutive month, once again surpassing former earnings leader Horseshoe Casino in Hammond for revenue. Indiana’s sports betting and casino industries combined generated revenue surpassing $221.7 million this April. 

Hard Rock’s win from slot machines and table games totaled $38.2 million for the month, recording a slight 1% decrease compared to March, but 16.5% more than Horseshoe’s April win of $31.9 million, which was also down 7.3% from March, according to the IGC. The total tax generated from sports betting and casino games surpassed $74.2 million for the month. 

Data shows baccarat was the biggest table game at both the Gary and Hammond casinos last month. But Hard Rock ($29 million) nearly tripled Horseshoe ($11.5 million) in baccarat play, and led baccarat win with $7.5 million for Hard Rock and $1.6 million for Horseshoe. 

Hard Rock also led in slot machine play for the fourth month since opening. Its $260 million in slot machine coin-in topped Horseshoe, which posted $243.6 million in slot play last month. On a per machine basis, Hard Rock outpaced Horseshoe by tallying $15,829 in monthly win from each slot machine compared to $13,482 each at Horseshoe, records show.

According to the IGC, Ameristar Casino in East Chicago saw slot machine and table game win of $18.9 million in April, down 5.5% compared to March, while April's win of $12.5 million at Blue Chip Casino in Michigan City also was down 2.2% on a monthly basis.

The news of these financial results came days before the celebration of Hard Rock Northern Indiana's one-year anniversary, after it opened its doors in replacement for Gary’s former Majestic Star casino on May 14, 2021. 

In an official press release, President of the Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana, Matt Schuffert, said: "It has been a remarkable first year, with continued growth expected. We continue to see strong performance in both slots and table games, and are very excited to have opened our Sportsbook on May 11. Baccarat continues to perform very well, with our nearly $29 million in drop being more than all of the baccarat drop of all Indiana casinos combined”. 

Schuffert said Hard Rock is celebrating its 1-year birthday with both casino events and live entertainment, including Limp Bizkit performing in Hard Rock Live May 21, followed by a full summer concert lineup.