The Gross Revenue from Gaming report for Jan 2017 is out and the numbers show that Mississippi casino revenue was up for the last month of 2016, as well the entire year.
According to the state’s Miscellaneous Tax Bureau Casino Gross Gaming Revenue Report (pdf), in December 2016 gamblers lost $170.7 million, an increase of 2 percent from the previous year in December when the figure was $167 million.
Once again, the state’s coastal casinos were the big winners in 2016 with casino gross gaming revenue at $1.187 billion, more than $254 million less than Mississippi river counties over the year at $932.5 million. December 2016 figures also show that Mississippi coastal casinos beat out river county casinos at $92.3 million; nearly $14 million more for the same month, according to the Mississippi?Gaming Commission.
In 2016, casino revenue was up 1 percent to $2.12 billion; the second annual increase after a seven-year slump. However, according to the figures, statewide collections still remain below the $2.89 billion reported in 2007.
Up 4 percent for all of last year and 2 percent for December; gamblers at the state’s 12 coastal casinos lost $92.3 million during the last month of 2016 and $1.19 billion over the year. Meanwhile, the state’s 16 river casinos posted gross gaming revenue of $78.4 million for December last year, an increase of more than $11 million from the month prior, while annual revenue decreased by 2 percent to $932.5 million.
Prior to the December figures coming out, Mississippi casinos have posted up $1.9 billion in adjusted gross gaming revenue for 2016, with the February being the best month at over $190 million. The year’s gross gaming revenue of $2,120,056,106.15 was the best showing since 2008 which came in at $2,721,139,216.34.
There are 12 casinos on the Mississippi Gulf Coast with the newest casino being Scarlet Pearl Casino Resort in D’Iberville, Mississippi, which opened on Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2015.