Pennsylvania gaming revenue grows in December

Figures released Thursday by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board show total gaming and fantasy contests revenue generated in the Commonwealth during December 2019 was 3.4% above the revenue generated in December 2018.

Sources of gaming revenue regulated by the Board include slot machines, table games, internet gaming, retail and internet sports wagering, fantasy contests and video gaming terminals. The Board has posted separate reports for these types of gaming on its website.

The mature land-based casino industry in Pennsylvania currently consists of 10 stand-alone and racetrack casinos in operation, along with the two smaller resort casinos. Construction of a 13th casino is currently underway along with a number of new “mini-casinos” that are expected to begin operation over the next couple of years.

The following chart compiles all revenue generated in December 2019 by casinos along with fantasy contests and video gaming terminals operated by other vendors, and includes a comparison to the total revenue generated last December:

Total tax revenue generated collectively through all forms of gaming and fantasy contests was $118,178,675* during December of 2019.

Slot Machine Revenue

December’s gross revenue from slot machines at the 12 casinos was $187,473,942, a 7.6% decrease in revenue when compared to the $202,840,435 generated in December 2018.

The average number of slot machines operating on a daily basis was 24,116 during December 2019 compared to 25,442 at the casinos in December 2018.

Table Games Revenue

Table games revenue for December 2019 was $78,094,839, an increase of 4.8% over December of last year when revenue was $74,516,793.

Bethlehem saw the highest table games revenue, $22,434,680, while Lady Luck Casino Nemacolin saw the lowest, $344,384.

Internet Casino-Type Gaming Revenue

Casino games offered online generated gross revenue of $10,624,699 during December. That figure is 10.3% higher than the previous month of November 2019 when revenue was $9,655,811.

Mount Airy Casino Resort saw the highest total Internet Games Revenue, $4,032,194; and Mohegan Sun Pocono saw the lowest, $406,445.

Sports Wagering Revenue

December’s total sports wagering handle from both retail and online outlets was $342,560,389, 8.2% above the previous month’s wager total of $316,468,264.  At the same time, the taxable revenue figure for December of this year was 22.7% lower than November 2019, $11,374,482 compared to $14,720,686.

Valley Forge Casino Resort saw the highest sports revenue, $4,111,869.

Video Gaming Terminals

Total adjusted revenue for December 2019 for video gaming terminals (VGTs) was $879,153 compared to $659,288 in November, an increase of 33%. Each of the establishments operated the maximum of 5 machines. By the close of December, two operators had placed VGT’s in a total of 20 truck stop establishments.

Fantasy Contests

Fantasy Contests revenue was $3,435,621 in December 2019, an increase of 20.1% over December of last year when revenue was $2,860,503.