Slot machine revenue across Pennsylvania’s 12 casinos was up by eight per cent in December 2018 against a rise of 1.4 per cent for the whole year according to the latest figures published by the state’s Gaming Control Board.

The average combined number of slot machines operating daily was down slightly to 25,442 in December of 2018 compared to 25,849 in December of 2017. The Board also reported that slot machine revenue for calendar year 2018 was $2,369,885,203, the eighth consecutive calendar year in which revenue has topped $2.3bn. That amount was 1.4% higher than slot machine revenue in calendar year 2017.

Tax revenue generated from slot machine gaming in 2018 was $1,235,872,531 with a significant portion of the revenue used for property tax reduction to all Pennsylvania homeowners, strengthening the Commonwealth’s horse racing industry, and funding economic development projects.

Currently, only three of the 12 Pennsylvania locations offer a sportsbook facility. Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course opened officially in November, followed by SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia and Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh.

As such it is too soon to identify what, if any, effect sports wagering might have had on slot operations. However, all three recorded an increase in revenue with Rivers taking $25,830,298.54 (+11.97 per cent); Hollywood taking $18,391,456.46 (+9.22 per cent); and SugarHouse on $15,074,191.21 (+5.62 per cent).