Lottery: October casino revenue rebounds, as record September COVID-19 surge fades
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West Virginia casinos saw a bump in business in October, something Lottery Director John Myers attributes to a drop in COVID-19 cases after a record spike in September.
“That’s the only thing I can figure,” he said after Thursday’s Lottery Commission meeting. “People are feeling more comfortable going back into casinos.”
Video lottery machines in the four racetrack casinos took in $41.64 million, topping revenue from Limited Video Lottery in bars and clubs statewide for the first time since the start of the pandemic.
That was up 10% from $37.97 million in September, and up 18% from $35.34 million in October 2020.
Table games at the casinos also saw a strong recovery in October, grossing $3.02 million, up 8% from September, and up 43% from October 2020.
The casino at The Greenbrier resort shared in the bounce, with overall revenue of $704,000 up 10% from September and up 62% from October 2020.
Limited Video Lottery machines in 1,179 bars, clubs and fraternals around the state took in $41.23 million, up $1.77 million from September, and up $3.93 million from October 2020.
Limited Video Lottery has performed strongly during the pandemic, including setting all-time monthly records in excess of $50 million for the months of March and April.
There are nearly 8,200 Limited Video Lottery machines operating in West Virginia, about 1,000 more than in October 2020, after a decision earlier this year to bid out the maximum 9,000 Limited Video Lottery licenses, instead of the usual cap of 8,000 licenses.
Limited Video Lottery operators are awaiting delivery of the remaining 800 machines, Myers said, with a shipment of about 200 machines to West Virginia expected by the end of the week or early next week.
For the month, overall Lottery gross revenue was $107.4 million, up $3.8 million from September, and up $13.42 million from October 2020.
For the first four months of the 2021-22 budget year, the Lottery has grossed $427.93 million, up $55.07 million, or 15%, over the same point in 2020.
For October, the state’s share of Lottery profits was $48.43 million, up $6.9 million over October 2020. Year-to-date state profits total $190.24 million, up $25.46 million over the same point in 2020.
Also during Thursday’s Lottery Commission meeting:
- Myers announced the reorganization of the Lottery’s Security Division, splitting the division into two sections, one overseeing casinos, i-gaming and sports wagering operations, headed by Chris Franko; the other overseeing traditional scratch-off and draw games and Limited Video Lottery, headed by Steve Compston.
As part of the reorganization, longtime Security Division director David Bradley was promoted to Lottery deputy director.
- For the first time, the state privilege tax on i-gaming, which permits play of casino-style slots and table games on cellphones and computers, topped $1 million for October, at $1.08 million.
Overall, i-gaming grossed $7.22 million for the month, with online gaming apps affiliated with The Greenbrier dominating the market, accounting for $3.89 million of the total.
The Greenbrier and Hollywood Casino, in Charles Town, also accounted for the lion’s share of online sports betting revenue in October, together bringing in $2.22 million of the $2.39 million statewide gross for the month.
