Pennsylvania casinos have demonstrated resilience in recovering revenues after remaining idle for two and a half months, and revenue statistics show that slot machines are leading the way.
According to a revenue report from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, gaming revenue from all sources actually increased in July year-on-year, despite casinos only operating at half capacity due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Revenue generated by the state’s 12 casinos for the month was $283.1 million, compared to $281.5 million for July 2019.
Digging deeper into the numbers shows that average daily win for slot machines climbed by nearly a third year-on-year, meaning those choice slot machines were packed. Average daily per-machine win last month was $364.43, compared to $254.63 for the same month last year. Slots currently account for some 70 percent of overall casino revenue, generating more than $30 billion in wagers annually.
Parx Casino, Mount Airy Casino Resort, and Harrah’s Philadelphia logged increased slots revenue in July with a reduced number of machines. Their daily win per machine rose from $353.62 to $489.75 for Parx, from $224.55 to $476.88 for Mount Airy, and from $216.80 to $459.40 for Harrah’s.
“In terms of overall revenue, Pennsylvania is in the top tier of producers in terms of making prior year revenue in the midst of the Covid recovery,” said Michael Soll, president of The Innovation Group, in an interview with the Penn Bets news site.
“Way before Covid, a preoccupation for the industry has to do with what the long-term sustainability of slot play will be. What will generational change mean in terms of how much space within a casino should be dedicated to traditional gaming, vs. new forms of gaming like esports and third-party entertainment?
“I don’t think we’ve learned a lot just from the higher win per unit. We’ve learned that some of the most valuable players don’t reduce their play without the availability of some of the amenities they’re used to,” due to Covid shutdowns of most non-gaming amenities.
