Pennsylvania’s 12 casinos managed to generate $209.6 million in combined gross revenue from slot machine play during May 2019, a 2.7 percent swell over revenues from the same time last year, according to Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) figures released Tuesday.
Figures from the monthly report show that the combined gross revenue from slot machines at the northeastern U.S. state’s dozen casinos in May of this year was $209,579,851.21, which is an increase of 2.7 percent over the $203,993,259 revenue figure from May 2018.
Percentage change:
The following chart from the PGCB shows gross slot machine revenue for each of the Commonwealth‘s casinos, with the percentage change reflected from that of the previous year:
| Casino | May 2019 | May 2018 | % Change |
| Parx Casino | $37,038,375.06 | $35,708,089.14 | 3.73% |
| Wind Creek Bethlehem (formerly Sands Casino) | $26,135,435.56 | $27,009,310.35 | -3.24% |
| Rivers Casino | $25,612,121.67 | $22,676,245.11 | 12.95% |
| The Meadows Casino | $18,677,481.02 | $17,359,254.44 | 7.59% |
| Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course | $18,312,915.72 | $18,103,917.80 | 1.15% |
| Mohegan Sun Pocono | $17,047,557.50 | $17,436,510.90 | -2.23% |
| Harrah’s Philadelphia Casino and Racetrack | $16,965,046.72 | $17,242,944.85 | -1.61% |
| SugarHouse Casino | $15,563,286.02 | $15,548,589.92 | 0.09% |
| Mount Airy Casino Resort | $12,450,848.68 | $12,609,468.23 | -1.26% |
| Presque Isle Downs and Casino | $10,328,658.95 | $9,940,269.55 | 3.91% |
| Valley Forge Casino Resort | $8,867,509.89 | $7,947,054.14 | 11.58% |
| Lady Luck Casino Nemacolin | $2,580,614.42 | $2,411,604.59 | 7.01% |
| Statewide Total | $209,579,851.21 | $203,993,259.02 | 2.74% |
The biggest gain was seen at Rivers Casino Pittsburgh, which at $25,612,121.67 for this May was a 12.9 percent increase from May 2018’s $22,676,245.11.
With an 11.58 percent change, the Boyd Gaming-owned and operated Valley Forge Casino Resort in King of Prussia was a close second at $8,867,509.89 versus last May’s $7,947,054.14 figure.
On the flip side, Wind Creek Bethlehem (formerly Sands Casino), recently acquired from the?Las Vegas Sands Corporation, by Wind Creek Hospitality, the gaming arm of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, was down 3.24 percent at $26,135,435.56 for May 2019 compared with $27,009,310.35 from the same time frame last year.
Showing the smallest percentage of change was Rush Street Gaming’s SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia, PA, which increased from $15,548,589.92 last year to $15,563,286.02 for May 2019, a modest 0.09 percent gain.
According to the report, the average number of slot machines operating throughout the Keystone State was 25,168 in May 2019 compared to 25,840 in May 2018.
Injunction sought:
In other PA news, the Commonwealth’s casinos are looking to have the state lottery‘s use of online games halted immediately, as they contend that they are too similar to casino games, according to the Associated Press via U.S. News & World Report.
On Monday, paperwork was filed by the casinos seeking an injunction in their lawsuit initiated some 8 months ago, which reportedly argues that some of the Pennsylvania Lottery’s online games are in violation of the state law from 2017 that authorized them due to their simulation of slot machines and casino-style gambling.
However, lottery officials contend that the games are in keeping with the two-year-old law.
Online gaming:
The request for an injunction comes about a month and a half before the state licensing and regulatory agency responsible for overseeing slot machines and casino gambling in PA said that casinos will be permitted to operate online gaming. Seven of Pennsylvania’s 13 land-based casinos have already secured permission to offer local online poker?services while a full ten hold similar licenses covering the in-state provision of virtual table games and?slots. The first series of online sites will reportedly launch during the week beginning on July 15.