Pennsylvania Slot Revenue Down In 2013
By Tony Romeo
HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS) -- For the first time since casinos opened in the state, gross revenues from slot machine play in Pennsylvania for a calendar year were down from the year before.
Overall slots revenue in Pennsylvania was down 3.5% last year compared to 2012. One of the biggest losers in the state was Harrah's Philadelphia, where gross slots revenue was down almost 10%. Parx in Bucks County was down more than 4%, SugarHouse in Philadelphia almost 5%. Gaming Control Board spokesman Doug Harbach points to increased competition from neighboring states.
"The good news is we continue to see revenue numbers from slot machines that are second in the U.S. behind Nevada and tax revenue generation that is the highest," " Harbach says. "So, in many ways you can still make the argument that Pennsylvania's casino industry is doing very, very well."
Harbach also notes that table games revenue in the Pennsylvania continues to be robust. That tally for 2013 will be released later.