Following July’s record slot machine revenue announced by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) at the beginning of August, figures for table games revenue published yesterday set a new high in revenue and taxes (levied at 16%) produced during a single month. Gross revenue produced by table games play at the 10 Pennsylvania casinos was US$56,183,506. The previous high month was March 2011 when gross revenue from table games was US$54,606,617.
The PGCB also announced that as of July 1, 2011, total employment at Pennsylvania’s casinos had increased 7% over the previous first quarter of 2011 and now stood at 15,064. Employment at the close of the first quarter of 2011 was 14,097. Parx Casino is the largest employer with 2,045 casino workers, followed by Harrah’s Chester Casino and Racetrack with 1,883. Parx Casino also tops the gross revenue chart in July, making US$10,278,309 from 172 gaming tables, closely followed by Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem (US$10,049,430 from 129 gaming tables).
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Gaming Control Board Chairman Greg Fajt says the continued growth in employment at the casinos is due in large part to the decision to expand into table games. “We have already seen a 45% increase in the number of tables in operation since table games were introduced a year ago,” Fajt says. “As a labor intensive operation, this means casinos require more trained employees to fill these well-paying jobs, and certainly with an unemployment rate of 7.2% in Pennsylvania, every new job is meaningful.” (E-08.17.11)
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