Average hotel occupancy improved from both April 2008 and March 2009 but it took continued heavy discounting to make it happen. The average daily room rate in April 2009 was $94.08, 30% below April 2008, when the average rate was $135.67, but was approximately $1.50 better than March 2009, which was 31.6% below March 2008. Visitor volume in April was 3.17 million, 2.9% below April 2008 and largely unchanged from March 2009.

Gaming win, the amount of money gamblers lose in casinos, was $734.7 million in April in Clark County, which encompasses the Strip, Downtown and outlying locals' markets. That's 13.6% lower than April 2008, when gaming win was $849.9 million, and 6.5% below March 2009. Year-to-date gaming win in Clark County is running 14.5% behind 2008.

The year-over-year comparisons were expected to be much better than previous months but were not. They were expected to be much improved because March 2008 was the last relatively good performance months for the market before things began to deteriorate.

The fact that they did not is not a good sign. A source with the Nevada Gaming Commission could not be reached Friday for comment.