Illinois reported a better than expected 1% drop in same store revenues for the month of April. We've been focused on deltas and the 2nd derivative delta turned positive in January (see the chart below) and has trended positive ever since. Illinois is getting close to yet another pivot: an actual positive first derivative. In other words, same store revenues could turn positive.
Not surprisingly, PENN's Hollywood casino led the way, up 9%, since its sister property, The Empress, was out of commission due to a fire. BYD's East Peoria property also performed well, up 3%.
IL now joins the ranks of Louisiana, Missouri, Iowa, and Colorado as states that may begin to show actual revenue growth.
