The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) has approved the petition of Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh to remove 302 slot machines as part of a reconfiguration of its slot floor.
Rivers is the fifth Pennsylvania casino this year to reduce the number of machines on its slot floor. The 302-machine drop will put the casino’s slot count at 1,981, maintaining its position as the third-most slots of any casino in the state.
Andre Barnabei, Rivers assistant general manager, told the board at the hearing on the request that the casino has to renew its floor to bring in the hottest new games—the games are among 520 that have been on the property’s floor since it opened 14 years ago, and the average age of rivers slots is 11 years. He said games 7 years old or younger outperform the older games by 55 percent.
“The number of units does not determine or drive the revenue,” Barnabei told the PGCB, according to PlayPennsylvania. “It’s the guest’s choice, the guest’s preference in what they choose to play… “Our slot machine floor is similar to a car lot. You can have a car lot that can run for blocks and blocks. But if you don’t have the right cars on the lot, you’re not going to sell anything.”
Rivers is planning on investing more than $2 million to restock its casino with newer games.
