Slots revenue up statewide, at Meadows
Jim McNutt/Observer-Reporter Entrance to the Meadows Casino on Race Track Road in North Strabane Township.
Fueled by a strong December, Pennsylvania casinos cashed in on slot machines play in 2015.
And so did the Meadows Racetrack & Casino.
The state’s 12 casinos generated $2,365,651,658.63 in gross slots revenue last year, a 1.99 percent increase from $2,319,534,379.68 in 2014, according to figures released Wednesday by Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. That was the fifth consecutive year the figure topped $2.3 billion.
Pennsylvania casinos also realized a 4.84 percent bump in revenue last month compared with the previous December. Last month’s figure — $197,547,426.77 — was more than $9 million above that of December 2014: $188,426,685.51.
Slots revenue at The Meadows was $220.233,130.31 for all of 2015 — up 1.35 percent from $217,289,559.19 the year before. The North Strabane Township facility had an especially strong December. producing $19,074,748.27 in revenue, an 11.57 percent increase from December 2014. That was the largest increase among the dozen casinos.
Results were mixed at the region’s other two gaming sites. Pittsburgh’s Rivers Casino basically broke even for the year, with revenue of $276,950,115.67 in 2015, a little more than $13,000 from 2014. Its December figure of $23,217,809.74 was 0.84 percent above $23,023,642.50 generated the previous December.
Slots revenue at Lady Luck Casino Nemacolin, in Fayette County, rose 12.18 percent in 2015 — to $29,913,907.94, more than $3 million above the previous year’s total of $26,666.269.65. Lady Luck dropped 3.26 percent from December to December, though — to $2,101,004.56 last month from $2,171,907.87.
Slot machine play generated $1,263,320,954 in tax revenue last year. The average number of slot machines operating daily was 26,229 last month compared with 26,377 in December 2014.
For more information, visit www.gamingcontrolboard.pa.gov.