Casino news source: Quad-Cities Online - http://qconline.com
Rhythm City Casino drops 24-7 operations
Rhythm City Casino, currently open 24-7, is cutting hours, according to Isle of Capri Corp., which owns the Davenport boat.
Mo Hyder, vice president and general manager for Isle of Capri, said Rhythm City will be closed from 2-8 a.m. Sunday through Thursday beginning April 2. It will remain open 24 hours on weekends.
Mr. Hyder said the move was spurred by studies that show people don't like to gamble in the wee morning hours, rather than by declining revenues.
Rhythm City's February adjusted gross revenue fell to $4.75 million, down 24 percent from February 2006; and down 7 percent from January. 'We're modifying our hours because studies have shown there just isn't enough demand for gambling during the early morning hours,' said Mr. Hyder.
The Isle's Bettendorf boat, however, will continue to be open 24 hours every day. 'That's because there's a hotel attached there,' Mr. Hyder said.
Bill Renk of Casino Rock Island said there are no plans to reduce hours from the current 8 a.m. to 3 a.m. That's less than the 22 hours a day the state allows gaming businesses to be open. Mr. Hyder said the shorter hours aren't unique. He said casinos from Clinton to Dubuque are closed some hours. 'It's all dictated by business, and there just isn't a lot of casino business during those hours.'
Revenue and attendance were down at all Quad-Cities' riverboats in February, based on information from the Iowa and Illinois Gaming commissions. Casino representatives attributed that to weather, as well as increased competition, notably from Riverside Casino and Resort, which opened last August south of Iowa City.
'We had the bad weather in January and February, and it especially hit us on the weekends,' said Mr. Renk of Casino Rock Island, said.
March revenues at Jumer's are up so far, Mr. Renk said. 'Knock on wood. The market is what it is, and there's always factors that exacerbate the situation. But, our month is going strong and you just have to be patient and see how things end up.'
Rhythm City's future is uncertain at the moment. It entered an agreement with Davenport in 2005 to build a hotel and parking lot near Lock & Dam 15, and to move the boat to the hotel site. Late last year, though, those plans were put on hold while a 'market analysis' was done.
Mr. Hyder said. 'We're still evaluating, and looking at the scope of everything as we work with the cities. It doesn't alwaysʚ happen as quickly as we'd like. From our standpoint, we're positioning both projects so we can stay competitive in the Quad-Cities.'
A new hotel adjacent to the Bettendorf boat is scheduled to open this spring. |
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