January 15, 2010 by editor
Despite adding a second hotel and collaborating with the city of Bettendorf on a $24-million events center, the Isle of Capri casino continues to lose gamblers.
Admissions to the riverboat casino in fiscal 2009 (ended June 30) totaled 1.25 million, a 28 percent decline from five years ago. Admissions are off nearly 40 percent from the riverboat's highwater attendance of just over 2 million admissions in fiscal year 2000.
The declining attendance appears to be continuing into fiscal 2010 with December 2009 admissions the lowest in the past five years and just 8,000 more than its sister casino, the Rhythm City in Davenport.
Although both casinos are owned by the Isle of Capri, Davenport city officials have been seeking another operator there because the Isle has not upgraded the facility. The Davenport riverboat has been viewed as the weakest player in the Quad Cities market.
Admissions at both the Bettendorf Isle and Rhythm City have been affected by the opening of the new Jumer's Casino in Rock Island, and before that the opening of the Riverside casino near Iowa City.
