Slots Revenues Rising

Business is up at slots casinos across Pennsylvania. The Gaming Control Board reports that revenues at the 9 slots parlors for last month were $184.2 million compared to $132.3 million for January of 2009. However, since January of 2009, two more casinos have opened but still, board spokesman Doug Harbach says if you just compare the results from the 7 casinos that were open a year ago, they saw a 9.6% jump in revenues. Because of the state's 55% tax rate on slots revenues, Pennsylvania's share in January.....$101 million.
In southwestern Pennsylvania, the Meadows Racetrack and Casino pulled in $19.8 million last month. That's up 7.9% from the January 2009 totals of $18.3 million. Pittsburgh's Rivers Casino did not open till August of last year. Harbach says that slots facility has seen increases in revenues in four straight months.
The casino revenues are expected to be bolstered by the addition of table games which were officially legalized last month. Harbach says the board has begun the process to implement the tables games and expects the casinos to soon formally petition to include games such as poker, roulette and craps. Harbach says after the employees are trained, most, if not all of the casinos should have table games in the fall of this year.