By Mike Ricketts, Times-Mail
miker@tmnews.com
FRENCH LICK - While the news coming out of the casino in September wasn't nearly as good as July and August, monthly numbers released by the Indiana Gaming Commission this week show that September was in the top five for monthly visitors.
And September registered as the top month for the casino when it comes to raking money off the table games, with $1.47 million made on the casino's 44 table games. The closest month was back in March when the casino made $1.42 million on table games.
Slots, the biggest moneymaker for the casino, however, ranked sixth last month with $7.55 million brought in. The casino high-water mark for money collected from the "one-armed bandits" was $9.10 million in July.
Other than the opening month in November of last year, the past four months at the casino have registered the most passages through the turnstiles.
And those visitors aren't just confining themselves to the casino, said Alan Barnett with the Indiana Railway Museum and executive secretary of the French Lick-West Baden Springs Chamber of Commerce.
"There are many people coming on a regular basis," Barnett said. "And with some if they are not coming to gamble, they are coming to eat at a restaurant. Most (merchants and business owners) are seeing an upturn in business."
While the numbers on the Indiana Gaming Commission's summary of wagering and admission tax are limited to those from the casino, Barnett said another gauge to measure how many visitors are trekking to The Valley for an overnight stay is the Innkeeper's tax.
And August, he added, was a bumper month in that category with the county only a couple of thousand dollars or so short of $100,000.
"In year's past, (Orange County) has collected only $105,000 for the entire year," Barnett said.
Despite the slight drop in passages through the casino in September from the three previous months, Barnett said he believes October will be good.
"Now will be a very busy time, if we have any (fall) color at all," Barnett said.
The Chamber of Commerce executive secretary added that while there are many repeat visitors to the area, a bunch are yet to make their first visit.
"A lot of people are still coming to the area to see what's going on," Barnett said. "There are still an awful lot of folks who have not been here yet. I think there are an awful lot of people who want to still come and see what's out here."
And that, Barnett said, continues to increase.
With a new movie theater, a water park planned to open in 2008, the town center starting to come together and talks of a couple of minimal service hotels, Barnett sees it all benefitting the area.
But that's not to discount what already has taken place.
"The people who come to visit seem pleased," he said. "Many have been here in the past and remember the hard times of the (French Lick and West Baden Springs hotels). And now everyone is always amazed at what they've been able to do with those two buildings."
September bits from the gaming commission report
• Horseshoe in Hammond had the most people go through the casino doors with 340,576 visitors
• About $160,000 went through the $100 slot machine at French Lick
• French Lick Casino paid $2.04 million in taxes
• The state collected the most taxes from Argosy in Lawrenceburg in September ($12.83 million).