Batavia Downs Gaming rode the Kentucky Derby and Preakness to a record-setting month of May when it comes to credits played by its patrons and net win, according to the chief financial officer of Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp.
Jacquelyne Leach, speaking at today’s WROTB board meeting at the Park Road facility, said credits played – the amount of money put into the gaming machines – hit $95,294,821, the most ever during May. Furthermore, the net win – what’s left in the machines after paying out the customers – hit $6,994,850, also a May record.
“From January through May, we’re up $19.1 million or 4.3 percent in credits played from 2022 and up $3.4 million or 11 percent in net win,” Leach reported. “It’s very positive.”
As far as distributions to WROTB’s 17 municipalities, Leach said $1.7 million has been generated during the first two months of the second quarter (April and May).
“We’re waiting on the month of June, which is shaping up to be a very good month, too,” she said. “So, we’ll have distributions over $2 million to our municipalities. That's very healthy. And then year to date, we are over plan by potentially $1.2 million in earnings distributions. Our surcharge distributions, year to date, are $292,000. And that's about 8 percent over plan.”
Leach explained that 49 percent of the net win goes to the New York Gaming Commission for educational purposes and administrative fees. Batavia Downs Gaming keeps 51 percent, and allocates it to the Western New York Harness Horsemen’s Association for purses and the breeders’ fund, to capital projects, debt, marketing, operating expenses and then to municipalities.
Earnings in June are bound to get a boost from the Rockin’ the Downs Summer Concert Series that gets underway Friday night with the Almost Queen tribute band.
The remaining lineup:
June 30 - Get the Led Out (Tribute to Led Zeppelin)
July 7 - Craig Morgan with Drake White
July 14 - Skid Row
July 21 - The Marshall Tucker Band
July 28 - The Grassroots/ Peter Noone
August 4 - Don Felder (Formerly of The Eagles)
August 11 - Mike Delguidice (Tribute to Billy Joel)
