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The top-line look at slots in PA
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board released the most recent numbers for PA casinos when it comes to slots.
According to the report, combined gross revenue from slot machines was .6 percent lower than it was in March of 2016, down to $210 million. That’s compared to March 2016, when gross revenue clocked in at $211.3 million.
The downtick cannot be explained away by the calendar, as March in both years had the same number of weekends.
The worrying trend for PA slots continues
The gaming revenue picture for the state shows that growth has plateaued at best, and is contracting at worst.
Slot revenue for the entire year basically held steady in 2016, and in fact was down just slightly (.2 percent.). Slot revenue has seen a year-over-year decrease every month since September; that’s the last time the state saw an uptick in slot revenue.
Overall gaming revenue has been down for the past five months. The state will need to see gains at table games to buck that trend in March. (Those figures come out later in the month.)
The new numbers come as the state considers whether to add a new Category 1 casino. Lawmakers are also considering a slew of new gaming measures, including the possibility of adding PA online casinos to the mix.
PA slots, casino by casino
On an individual casino basis, it was a mixed bag, unsurprisingly.
Five of the casinos saw revenue increase three percent or more:
- Valley Forge (+6.3 percent)
- Hollywood Casino at Penn National (+3.4 percent)
- SugarHouse (+3.4 percent)
- Rivers (+3.2 percent)
- Lady Luck Nemacolin (+3.2 percent)
The state’s two biggest casinos — Parx and Sands Bethlehem — each saw YoY decreases of less than a percent. Hardest hit were Mohegan Sun Pocono and Presque Isle Downs and Casino, which were both down about seven percent.
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