Sports wagering at Rivers Casino & Resort in Schenectady, New York, has been subject to significant fluctuation since its launch four weeks ago. The sportsbook generated $168,743 in revenue for the week ending July 21, falling to $91,591 by the following week and hitting a nadir of $25,386 by the first week of August.
By August 11 revenue swung back again, hitting $74,298 for the week. Despite the roller coaster performance, total gross revenue from the sportsbook has held steady, ranging from $3.41m to $3.48m throughout the four-week period.
The update, published by Schenectady’s Daily Gazette, carried a response from a Rivers spokesperson who described the fluctuating revenues as “…no surprise at all,” adding: “We’re very happy to be able to offer our guests the ability to place legal sports wagers. Even with no real major sporting events, we are seeing new guests visit the property each day.”
Rivers was not the only venue to see unpredictable takes, with sports wagering at Tioga Downs in the Southern Tier cited by the Gazette as “mercurial”. Sports betting generated $13,632 in the first week following launch, increasing to $41,188 the following week before falling away to just $7,750. The week ending August 11 has seen revenue return to a comparatively healthier but nonetheless mediocre $11,271.
The state’s four sportsbooks will be looking for a major boost in activity when the new NFL season gets into full swing on September 5. But with no online or mobile betting allowed for the foreseeable future, operators and industry observers will still be watching on with justifiable frustration as significant betting spend continues to drift across the border to New Jersey.
