Combined slot and table game revenue at Pennsylvania casinos reached a record new high of more than $3.2bn during the 2018 calendar year. The figure was made public by the state’s Gaming Control Board this week within its monthly report for December 2018. The new benchmark topped the previous year’s total by over $21m and was achieved despite a slight lull in December performance which saw a 1.3 per cent dip on the previous month.
The deciding factor in that $3.2bn figure was slot machine revenue which was ahead significantly by more than $32m during 2018. The Board also reported that tax revenue in 2018 from the combined play of slot machines and table games was $1,377,254,368.
Also included in the report were results dating back to 2006 when the first slots-only casino opened, followed by the introduction of table games in July 2010. They show that over the past 13 years, gaming in the state has generated more than $32bn in revenue.
The highest earning venue in terms of table gaming during 2018 was Sands Casino Resort in Bethlehem which, while down by 8.74 per cent over the year, generated $221.9m. It was followed by Parx Casino with a 7.27 per cent improvement at $191.3m. SugarHouse Casino took third spot with $121.8m, which marked a 1.62 per cent increase on 2017.
While established forms of gaming appear to be flourishing in the Keystone State, all eyes will be on how the newly legalized sports betting industry shapes up over the next few months. In the first two weeks of sports wagering last November, Penn National recorded revenue of more than $500,000, while total sports betting revenue for December hit just over $2m from just three live operations.
