BERLIN — The November figures for the Casino at Ocean Downs were released this week, representing a steady decline in off-season numbers after peaking this summer.
The Maryland State Lottery Agency, which oversees the two existing slots facilities in the state, released the final numbers for November for the Casino at Ocean Downs this week, revealing the monthly revenue figures had dropped to a level not seen since the second month of operation last February. The Berlin slots facility generated $3.1 million in November, or a figure almost exactly the same as its second month in existence last February.
The November revenue total was only slightly higher than the figure for last January, when the facility garnered right around $3 million in its first month. While there is clearly not a large enough sample on which to base any trends, it appears the Casino at Ocean Downs will be subject to the same fluctuations as the tourism-based businesses in the nearby resort areas.
After spiking upward during the months of July and August, and even September to a large degree, the revenue total for the Casino at Ocean Downs dropped back to $3.8 million in October and $3.1 million last month. The $3.1 million figure for November is more in keeping with the rest of the off-season months since the facility opened last January. For example, in its first month in business last January, the casino took in $3 million, but did not open until January 4, making it a short month.
The Casino at Ocean Downs grossed $3.1 million in February, $3.2 million in March, $3.5 million in April, $3.7 million in May and $3.8 million in June. In July, buoyed by the hundreds of thousands of visitors to Ocean City and other resort areas, the figure spiked up to $5.3 million, then dropped back to $4.6 million in August. In September, the Casino at Ocean Downs’ revenue stayed stable at $4.6 million, but reverted back to the $3 million range in October and November.
In the peak month of July, the average daily gross per machine came in at $215.46, obviously the highest month thus far. In October, the average daily gross per machine came in at $154.41 and the figure dropped to $129.26 in November, the lowest monthly total in the young history of the facility. It’s important to note the casino added 50 new machines this summer, raising its total to 800.
For the month of November, the Casino at Ocean Downs contributed $1.5 million to the Education Trust Fund, the casino’s share came in at a little over $1 million, and the facility generated $210,614 in local impact grants.