"Those tax level increases at the lower end affected a property like Alton just as much as some of the high-end tax increases hit some of the larger casinos in Illinois," Jim Wise said. "The tax increase was so large that it simply forced us to adjust how we operate our business -- the tax increase created a pattern that continued through the year." The Alton Belle has reduced its hours and while it is expanding its live music offerings and adding promotions, it is not participating in what Wise called the "marketing wars" among St. Louis casinos -- which Wise admitted has taken business from the casino. The Ameristar Casino in St. Charles, however, saw their revenues climb 34 percent to $263.4 million, and their admissions climb 24 percent to 10.1 million. In August 2002, the expanded Ameristar opened with the 10th largest casino floor in the nation.