Milder weather in January boosts Reno casinos
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Northern Nevada’s relatively mild weather in January kept the state’s casino industry from reporting its first monthly gaming revenue decline since last June.
While Strip gaming revenue declined by almost 3.8 percent in January, Reno casinos saw a 55 percent increase for the month to almost $65.4 million. Washoe County as a whole saw a 35.4 percent gaming revenue jump to almost $87.7 million.
According to the website, Certified Snowfall Totals, the Reno area had just four snow days in January. A year ago, Reno experienced 13 snow days spread throughout the month, which led to a 13 percent gaming revenue decline, said Gaming Control Board Senior Economic Analyst Michael Lawton.
He said one Washoe County casino operator reported its revenue totals from slot machines earned over the New Year’s Eve holiday in January, which skewed the numbers. However, Lawton said the combined slot machine revenue increased by more than 11 percent for the two months.
Statewide gaming revenue in January was up less than 1 percent to $1.28 billion, which included $686.2 million from the Strip. December’s Strip gaming revenue was a single-month record of $905.4 million, leading Lawton and other gaming analysts to surmise that visitors bypassed January for February, which included Super Bowl LVIII and Chinese New Year.
