Pennsylvania Slots Revenue Figures Released for May

Fourth Highest Month in Pennsylvania History

HARRISBURG, Pa., June 2, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --  The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board today reported that slot machine revenue in May was $205.5 million, the fourth highest month for slot revenue recorded in Pennsylvania since the opening of casinos in 2006. May 2011 was topped only by March 2011 with $214.9 million, April 2011 with $211.4 million and July 2010 with $211.1 million.

The play of slot machines at the ten operating casinos produced $205,532,236 in gross revenue in May 2011 compared to $200,944,627 during May of last year, an increase of 2.3%.  That resulted in a return of $112,001,395 in taxes to Pennsylvania citizens in this past month, an average of $3.6 million of taxes collected per day from the 55% assessment on slot machine revenue.

Approximately two-thirds of tax revenue is dedicated to general school property tax reduction for Pennsylvania homeowners, an annual average of nearly $200 per homeowner.

The difference in revenue from slot machines for just the nine casinos operating in May 2011 that were also open for the full month of May 2010 was a decrease of 5.2%.  That analysis does not include the SugarHouse Casino which opened in September 2010.

Gross revenue for each of the casinos operating in May 2011 is as follows, with the percentage change reflected for those casinos that were operating in May of both years:

The average number of operating slot machines throughout Pennsylvania at the 10 casinos was 26,323 in May 2011 compared to 24,266 at nine casinos in May 2010.  

About the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board:

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board was established in 2004 with the passage of Act 71, also known as the Race Horse Development and Gaming Act. Pennsylvania's first new state agency in nearly 40 years, the Gaming Control Board is tasked to oversee all aspects of the state's casino industry. Currently, the ten casinos in operation in the Commonwealth employ over 14,000 people and legalized gaming has generated over $5.1 billion in tax and license fee revenue since the first casino opened in November 2006. A portion of that money is enabling property tax reduction for all Pennsylvania homeowners, providing needed funding to the Commonwealth's horse racing industry, funding grants for fire companies and water/sewer projects, and establishing a new stream of tax revenue to local governments for community projects. A wealth of information about the Gaming Control Board and Pennsylvania's gaming industry can be found at www.pgcb.state.pa.us. At this web site, visitors can view videos of Board meetings and on the operation of the PGCB, obtain information on identifying a gambling problem and gaining assistance, look up future meeting schedules and past meeting transcripts, access an interactive map of casino locations, request a speaker for their group, along with much more information.

www.pgcb.state.pa.us

CONTACT: Doug Harbach or Richard McGarvey, (717) 346-8321

SOURCE Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board