Pennsylvania Slot Machine Revenue Rises 18% In July

HARRISBURG, Pa., Aug. 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --  Pennsylvania's casinos generated a record $116 million in slot machine tax revenue during July of this year, a 17.81% increase compared to July, 2009.

In figures released today by the Gaming Control Board, the Commonwealth received $116,079,631 in tax revenue, an average of $3.74 million per day. The casinos gross revenue was $211,053,874 from slot machine play.

In addition, there was a 5.26% increase when comparing just the eight casinos that have operated for at least a full year, with revenue at all but two of these casinos up this July compared to the same month in 2009.

Gaming Control Board Executive Director Kevin O'Toole says the start of table games play at the casinos certainly increased patronage and appears to have had a positive effect on slot machine play, too.

"It is too early to gauge a trend, but Pennsylvania casinos have indicated they have experienced a significant increase in the number of visitors since table games were rolled out in mid-July," O'Toole says.

The nine casinos each began offering table games gambling in mid July.  July table games revenue figures for each of the casinos will not be available from the Gaming Control Board until later in August.

Gross revenue for each of the casinos operating in July 2010 is as follows with percentage change reflected for those casinos that were operating in both years:

The average number of slot machines operating statewide daily during July was 24,903.

About the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board was established in 2004 with the passage of Act 71, also known as the Race Horse Development and Gaming Act.  Pennsylvania's first new state agency in nearly 40 years, the Gaming Control Board is tasked to oversee all aspects of the state's casino industry.  To date, with nine of a maximum fourteen casinos in operation, legalized gaming in the Commonwealth has created over 8,000 new living wage jobs, revenue that has provided property tax reduction in each of the past three years for all homeowners, funds that have reinvigorated Pennsylvania's horse racing industry, and new revenue to local governments that has funded scores of community projects.  A wealth of information about the Gaming Control Board and Pennsylvania's gaming industry can be found at www.pgcb.state.pa.us.  At this web site, visitors can view videos of Board meetings and the operation of the PGCB, obtain  information on identifying a gambling problem and gaining assistance, look up future meeting schedules and past meeting transcripts, access an interactive map of casino locations, request a speaker for their group, along with much more information.

SOURCE Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board