Pennsylvania slot revenue decline good for online gambling push?

Pennsylvania casinos earned less revenue from their slot machines in the state’s most recent fiscal year, breaking a two-year streak of revenue gains.

Figures released Thursday by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) show that the state’s 12 casino licensees generated combined slots revenue of $2.33b in the 12 months ending June 30. That’s down 2.2% from the $2.39b the state’s slots generated in fiscal 2015-16.

While the PGCB crowed about this year’s figure being the seventh straight year that slots have generated over $2.3b, it’s still well below the $2.5b peak the state recorded in 2011-12. Annual figures for the state’s table game operations will be released later this month.

Only three of the 12 casinos reported year-on-year slots revenue gains in 2016-17, and none of these gains exceeded 4%. The state’s perennial slots champ, the Parx Casino in Philadelphia, saw its slots revenue fall 0.45% to $386.6m while runner-up Sands Bethlehem was down 0.39% to $304.1m.