Nevada Poker Revenues Down 1.57% in 2015

In 2015, Nevada’s land-based and online poker rooms generated $118.023 million in revenues, representing a 1.57% fall compared to the previous year. As a result, the state’s poker industry has now declined for seven out of the last eight years.
Accounting for the lion’s share of business was the Las Vegas Strip, where 23 of Nevada’s 76 live poker rooms produced $77.34 million, or 65% of the state’s poker revenues in 2015. The Strip’s figures were helped along by the World Series of Poker which was held this summer, and generated the year’s three biggest revenue months including $10.32 million in May, $15.84 million in June, and $11.458 million in July. That includes increased year-over-year revenues in May (+0.62%), June (+4.46%), and July (+0.59%).
Nevada’s only viable online poker operation, WSOP.com, also benefited from the annual showcase series, spurred on by online qualifiers for the various events, as well as the competition awarding its first ever online poker bracelet.
Nevertheless, Nevada’s poker rooms reached a peak of $168 million in 2007, and ever since have been on a downward trajectory, except for a slight uptick from 2012 to 2013. As well as the declining popularity of poker, the revenue contraction can also be attributed to an ailing US economy which has reduced people’s supplemental income, thus resulting in fewer tourists and gamblers.
Here are Nevada’s 2015 monthly poker revenues:
January: $9,782,000
February: $8,530,000
March: $9,690,000
April: $8,511,000
May: $10,320,000
June: $15,840,000
July: $11,458,000
August: $8,510,000
September: $8,340,000
October: $8,730,000
November: $8,973,000
December: $9,359,000
While poker continues to wane in popularity, Nevada’s 271 casinos remain steady and in 2015 revenues were higher by almost 1% at $11.11 billion. Having said that, they now account for just 43% of the state’s overall revenues, which is significantly lower than in previous years. This also reflects changing priorities within the casino industry, with venues now seeking to promote other revenue streams beyond just gambling, including hotel rooms, food, and entertainments.