The 1,100 slot machines at Pennsylvania’s first, albeit temporary, facility at the Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs have had a good first week. From a low of US$313 per machine to a high of US$734 last Saturday, gamblers fed a total US$39.3 million into the gaming machines. US$35.3 million was given back in winnings and Pennsylvania property tax relief received US$1.4 million. The casino was left with revenue of US$1.83 million, before operating expenses, after paying out additional sums of US$490,000 for the state’s horseracing industry, US$204,000 for economic development and tourism and US$163,000 for local government.

On its first day open around 16,000 people went through the doors and, according to the operators, most days the promotions booth would have queues until 3 a.m. The novelty aspect of being the first Pennsylvanian slots parlour will have boosted visitor numbers and, when competition from the other facilities begins, those numbers are expected to stabilise. However, cautious optimism has been expressed for the success of the project that has taken over two years to complete.

The Mohegan Tribe operates one of the world’s largest casino complexes in Connecticut, the Mohegan Sun. When Pocono Downs expands to 2,000 gaming machines in its permanent facility and is in competition with similar operations in the state, average revenue of US$230 per machine per day is anticipated. This figure would be about par with Atlantic City machines, over US$100 less than those in Connecticut and over twice as much as the Nevada average. (E-11.24.06)

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