LAS VEGAS-Long-sliding figures for the state’s gaming winimproved in the latest year-over-year monthly comparison, but thetotal lags behind the peak years, according to a report from theNevada State Gaming Control Board. At the same time, an analysis ofthe monthly figures by CB Richard Ellis gaming analysts JacobOberman and Brent Pirosch says, “Keep the champagne on ice fornow.”

Nevada’s casinos reported a take of $944.4 million, an 11.5%increase over August 2009, and the Las Vegas Strip increase waseven greater, jumping 21% to $544 million. Even with the 11.5%increase, the state total continues to lag behind years like 2006and 2007, when the August take was more than $1 billion.

Oberman and Pirosch says that the Las Vegas Strip gaming revenuenumbers “leads us to conclude that at least a few of the luxuryproperties on the Strip are off to a strong third quarter.”Nonetheless, the CBRE analysts say that “are not popping thechampagne corks quite yet” for a few reasons: