Strictly Slots August 2022

SPINNING REELS BY SEAN CHAFFIN

With more than 2,000 slots, Live! Casino Philadelphia helped Pennsylvannia set an all-time record for revenue in July, with a total of $11.5 million generated from slots.

SLOT MACHINE POPULARITY Recent numbers show no signs of slowdown when it comes to our favorite slots

R ecent numbers are showing slot machines’ popularity shows no signs of slowing down, even with some casinos removing some from their properties. It’s no secret that the casino industry has seen a resurgence over the last few years and Pennsylvania may be a nice example of that. The state’s casinos saw a record $5 billion for the 2021–22 fiscal year, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board announced in July.That was up $3.9 million for the 2020–21 fiscal year, which runs from July 1 to June 30. Officials with the board attributed the jump to the growth of sports betting and online gaming.However,the popularity of slot machines among gamblers continues to be a major revenue driver. Slots accounted for almost half of the state’s $5.04 billion in revenue. “Tax revenues fueled by gambling go to a variety of purposes,”the Pittsburgh Post Gazette noted, “including property tax reduction, economic development, boosting the state’s horse racing industry,and the state’s general fund.”

Fewer Slots in Las Vegas? D espite making up 69% of Nevada’s $13.4 billion in gaming revenue in 2021,

Forbes recently noted a trend that has seen some Las Vegas casinos actually reducing the number of machines in their gaming area.Many re-evaluated

slot operations and made do with fewer“one-armed bandits.”Many of these casinos have found they can make do with less.The games remain as popular as ever, but casinos have worked on their efficiency when it comes to the number of games they need to house to meet demand, the report noted. “Despite having about 50,000 fewer machines in 2021 compared with 2010, Nevada’s average win per slot jumped 95% over the same period, from $108.88 to $212.72,” Forbes noted.“This jump isn’t due to inflation—casinos can also recalibrate how its machines pay out.” One additional note regarding this:Nevada casinos added electronic table games with virtual dealers during the pandemic. Revenue from these games are also included in slot machine revenue reports.However, some casinos are still finding added revenue with fewer machines. “As was the case in many industries, casinos reevaluated everything about their businesses during the Covid shutdowns,” Forbes notes.“And with slot machines, operators found a new sweet spot.”

22 AUGUST 2022 ■ STRICTLY SLOTS ■ www.casinocenter.com