Gaming win slumps in July

Gaming win by Nevada casinos was down in July by 2.34 percent - a difference of some $20 million statewide.

The numbers were almost uniformly down from Reno to the Las Vegas Strip. Statewide win totaled $808.3 million. The Las Vegas Strip reported a total $382.4 million in casino winnings - a decline of 3.75 percent - while Clark County as a whole was down 1.15 percent to $628.6 million.

Washoe County showed the biggest slump with a 9.4 percent drop overall - $99.7 million - and 11.97 percent in Reno - $73 million. That is the biggest drop in Reno since the January 1997 floods which effectively closed the downtown.

Gaming Control Board analyst Frank Streshley said the only apparent explanation is the timing of the July 4 weekend and the fact that there was one fewer Saturday in July this year than in 2000.

Streshley said last year's July 4 celebration fell on a Tuesday. That, he said, effectively created a four-day holiday weekend which pumped up the tourism business statewide. This year, he said the holiday fell on Wednesday. As a result, the holiday weekend was effectively just two days.

But the Carson Valley area, including the capital as well as valley portions of Douglas County, defied the trend and showed a 2.33 percent increase in business in July. Total win was $8.68 million - the sixth month in a row Carson has shown an increase over 2000.

South Lake Tahoe was down as well - for the fifth month in a row - but only by 1.45 percent. Total win there was $41.77 million.