The Online Casino Debate Continues Pennsylvania’s Slot Machines Revenues Fall

The decline in the state’s slot game profits continues. Revenues have remained strong across the other casino games. The falling trend of revenues in slot machine play continues into another month in Pennsylvania. The state reported a 2% decline for the month of July. The June figures show a similar pattern. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board recorded a steady 2.2% dip which represents around $52 million in lost profits compared with the 2015-2016 fiscal period. It is noted that some individual casinos saw a drop of up to 6.5% in slot incomes. Table games on the other hand are still making good money in the state, with 2016 the highest annual income for table play ever recorded in Pennsylvania.

The 2.01% decrease in slot revenues is continuing a ten-month trend in the industry. Pennsylvania casinos during July 2016 made $213 million through slot play, but in the same period this year only $209 million. The tax revenue for this period was $102 million, which represents a slight fall. The fall of profit can be attributed, in part, to a falling number of machines. The state has about 1,000 less slot games available this year. Many of the casinos have diversified their offerings for players with a result that table games are in higher demand. Although gambling slot revenues may be losing popularity in Pennsylvania, gaming revenues for the other offerings are performing well at the state’s 12 official gambling venues. The table games contribution totalled a record $3.2 billion during 2016, making it the sixth year in a row that the profits have topped $3 billion. The future of other offerings looks bright in 2017 and expected revenue all time profits could reach $30 billion this year that is just 11 years after casinos were legalized.

Slots Perform Well At Some Casino Venues

Not all the state’s casinos had declining slot revenues. At the Valley Forge Casino Resort, Mount Airy Casino Resort, Parx Casino and Rivers Casino all recorded increased profits for their slot games. Valley Forge benefited from their slot games this month, with revenues swinging to 9.8% from 2016’s figures up to now. Parx made a modest 2.3% gain, and Mount Airy recorded about $1 million in profit growth based on their numbers from July of last year.