[toc]Let’s be real. The year is not going to end well for del Lago Casino in upstate New York. The casino is far short of revenue expectations. As the biggest of the three new commercial NY casinos, it is also arguably also the biggest disappointment.
With all this negativity, it is no wonder del Lago is doing whatever it can to see the bright side of the situation.
When it comes to revenue, there is reason to celebrate after a busy Thanksgiving weekend on the property.
However, when it comes to everything else, del Lago might be reaching when it points to increased traffic as a sign of success.
del Lago posts second-best week so far
Thanksgiving weekend was not just about feasting on turkey and great holiday sales. The casino feasted on revenue, posting its second-best week so far.
The Auburn Citizen reports the casino took in $3,532,995 from Nov. 20-26. The only week better than that took place Feb. 20-26. This was President’s Day week, just about a month after the casino first opened its doors. That week generated $3,711,657 in revenue.
Table games performed exceptionally well for del Lago. Gross gaming revenue for the 85 table games on the property exceeded $1.1 million. That is the highest take ever for table games at the casino.
Revenue for the year currently stands at $124 million. That is less than half of the projected $263 million in revenue the state expected. Even if the property had record weeks the rest of the year, the property will still come nowhere close to expectations.
Casino wants you to believe traffic is a good thing
There are few metrics at all del Lago can point to and claim success. As a result, supporters of the casino generally say it is too early to really pay that much attention to the numbers.
Now there is a number they are willing to take credit for, but it is not exactly a badge of honor.
The casino proudly announced the interstate exit where the casino is located saw a significant bump in traffic in 2017.
According to the report from the State Thruway Authority, traffic at Exit 41 is up to 381,477 cars a month, compared to 266,306 before the casino opened.
Jeff Babinski, executive vice president and general manager of del Lago, lauded the accomplishment in a statement.
“As del Lago continues to grow, jobs, economic development, new and expanded businesses, and tourism in the region will continue to grow as well and we couldn’t be happier.”
Even Seneca County Board of Supervisors Chairman Bob Shipley felt like this was an accomplishment worth bragging about.
“With the opening of del Lago Resort & Casino, we certainly expected more visitors to arrive in Seneca County via the Thruway. However, the data shared with us by the New York State Thruway Authority truly surpassed our expectations. It’s very clear that del Lago is bringing new tourists to our region while helping benefit both Seneca County and our local businesses.”
There may be more visitors, but it does not answer the question what they are doing once they get off Exit 41. Because, judging by every other metric, they sure do not seem to be spending money in the casino.
