Decrease driven by one less weekend of play this year

HARRISBURG, Pa., Aug. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board reported on its web site today that July gross revenue from slot machine play at the 11 operating casinos was $212,871,833 generating $115,253,719 of tax revenue to the Commonwealth.

That amount was 2.49% lower than revenue generated from slot machines in July 2011 when revenue hit $218,300,465. However, the July 2011 figure was boosted by a fifth full weekend (Friday through Sunday) of business compared to just four full weekends in July of this year.

In a comparison of the revenue for just the ten casinos operating in July 2011 that were also open for the full month of July 2012, the decrease was 4.09%. That comparison removes revenue from Pennsylvania's 11(th) casino, Valley Forge Casino Resort, which opened in March of this year.

Gross revenue for each of the casinos operating in July 2012 is as follows, with the percentage change reflected for those casinos that were operating in July of both years:

    Casino                July 2012       July 2011        % change     ------                ---------       ---------        --------     Parx Casino                      $31,921,764.74  $33,233,183.53  -3.95%     -----------                      --------------  --------------  -----     Sands Casino Resort      Bethlehem                       $24,629,495.35  $25,852,031.26  -4.73%     -------------------              --------------  --------------  -----     Rivers Casino                    $23,374,561.41  $24,902,454.19  -6.14%     -------------                    --------------  --------------  -----     The Meadows Racetrack      and Casino                      $22,194,336.46  $23,311,090.10  -4.79%     ---------------------            --------------  --------------  -----     Harrah's Philadelphia      Casino and Racetrack            $22,151,140.04  $22,871,754.10  -3.15%     ---------------------            --------------  --------------  -----     Hollywood Casino at      Penn National Race      Course                          $21,437,340.59  $22,350,583.42  -4.09%     -------------------              --------------  --------------  -----     Mohegan Sun at Pocono      Downs                           $20,451,070.58  $20,654,195.12  -0.98%     ---------------------            --------------  --------------  -----     SugarHouse Casino                $15,435,548.79  $14,545,041.95   6.12%     -----------------                --------------  --------------   ----     Mount Airy Casino      Resort                          $14,151,517.92  $14,541,975.91  -2.69%     -----------------                --------------  --------------  -----     Presque Isle Downs      and Casino                      $13,615,629.80  $16,038,155.06 -15.10%     ------------------               --------------  -------------- ------     Valley Forge Casino      Resort                           $3,509,426.92              --     --     -------------------               -------------             ---    ---     Statewide Total                 $212,871,832.60 $218,300,464.64  -2.49%     ---------------                 --------------- ---------------  ----- 

The average number of operating slot machines throughout Pennsylvania at the 11 casinos was 26,708 in July 2012 compared to 26,403 at ten casinos in July 2011.

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 30 years, the Gaming Control Board is tasked to oversee all aspects of the state's casino industry. The 11 casinos in operation all offer both slot machine and table game gambling, employ over 16,000 people, and collectively generate an average of $4 million per day in tax revenue. A portion of that money is used for property tax reduction to all Pennsylvania homeowners; provide funds to the Commonwealth's horse racing industry, fire companies, a statewide water and sewer project grant program, and the state's General Fund; and, established a new stream of tax revenue to local governments that host casinos for community projects.

A wealth of information about the Gaming Control Board's regulatory efforts and Pennsylvania's gaming industry can be found at www.gamingcontrolboard.pa.gov. At this website, visitors can watch Board meetings live or view videos of past meetings, look up future meeting schedules and past meeting transcripts, obtain information on identifying a gambling problem and gaining assistance, access an interactive map of casino locations, request a speaker for their group, along with much more information. You can also follow the agency on Twitter by choosing @PAGamingControl.

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

SOURCE Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board