Pennsylvania casinos pulled in USD 2.4B last year

The total doesn't quite reach the record $2.5 billion pulled in by casinos in 2011-12, but it did give the state a second consecutive year of slot machine gains, posting a 2.3 percent increase over last year's total, according to figures for the fiscal year ending June 30 that were released by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board Thursday.

Though small, the gain brings a sigh of relief to state regulators who worried that two down years in 2013-14 and 2014-15 meant competition from other states could keep the Keystone State on the decline.

Since Pennsylvania began opening casinos in 2006, Maryland, New York and Ohio also opened new casinos, while Delaware and West Virginia each tried to compete by expanding their gambling operations.

"When you consider all the new competition that's come on line, 2.3 percent is good, stable growth," said Richard MaGarvey, gaming board spokesman. "From a tax revenue standpoint, that's a good thing."

The encouraging year end numbers show that nine of the state's 12 casinos posted gains over the previous year, including Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem, which had its best year with $305 million in slot machine revenues — a nearly 6 percent gain. Only Parx Casino, in the much larger population zone of Bensalem had more slot machine revenues with $388 million.

Those two were followed by the $272 million brought in at Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh and $226 million at Meadows Casino just outside Pittsburgh.

Mount Airy Casino, Paradise Township, Monroe County, brought in $144 million — a 3 percent increase over last year.

With the tax set at 54 percent on gross slot machine revenues, the state collected nearly $1.3 billion in tax for the year.

Since the opening of the first slot machine casino in November of 2006, revenue from slot machine play has totaled $20 billion resulting in a tax of $11.3 billion, according to the gaming board.

Year end revenues for table games such as blackjack, roulette and craps won't be released until later this month.