Pennsylvania Table Games Up 9% To $68m In March
April 16, 2013 1:39 pmThe Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board has now released its casino table game figures for March, revealing a 9% increase in revenue to $67.4 million compared to the same month last year. Collectively, Pennsylvania’s 11 casinos paid $9.7 million in taxes on their table games revenues for March.
Pennsylvania opened its first strictly slot machine casino in 2006, before adding table games in 2010. March 2012, then saw table games set a record for gross monthly revenue before this March that previous record was surpassed by $5.5 million.
Commenting on the impressive figures, gaming board spokesman Richard McGarvey explained: “March is always the highest month of the year. We’re not entirely sure why, but I’ve heard theories that it’s the month people get their [IRS refund] checks, or that it’s the first month after the winter. Whatever the reason, March is the month.”
Raking in the highest amount of table game revenues in March was Sands casino in Bethlehem up 27% to $15.3 million, followed by Parx Casino in Bensalem Township generating $11.1 million in revenue, and SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia with $8 million. Harrah’s Casino in Chester took $7.3 million for March; Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh $6.7 million, and Mount Airy Casino $3.6 million.
On the other hand, Presque Isle Downs Casino in Erie experienced a dramatic 38% revenue decline to $2.1 million compared to March last year. Furthermore, it is believed that the coming months will test Pennsylvania’s table-game market to the full, especially with the $500 million Maryland Live Casino opening up its new table games recently.
“I’ve read where analysts have projected that to be one of the busiest casinos on the East Coast,” commented McGarvey. “We’ll have to see what impact it has on Pennsylvania.”