PA Casinos May Already Have Matched Pre-Pandemic Retail Revenue
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Pennsylvania's casinos made a record $404.1 million in April. The state's gaming industry has returned to pre-Pandemic level of patronage. The two new Live! casinos in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh helped boost the revenue in May. For the first third of this year, retail casino revenue statewide was down 22.5%. It's improved since the casinos returned from a mandatory shutdown in March-June 2020. Gamblers are no longer wearing masks and the social distancing guidelines that reduced slots and table games positions have generally been dropped.
Parx in Bucks County saw gaming revenue fall by 7.1% from two years ago compared to the statewide average of 22.5%. Mount Airy Casino Resort in the Poconos did even better, off just 2.3%. Rivers Philadelphia and Meadows Racetrack & Casino were both down more than one-third in revenue for the comparable January-April periods.
Some casinos have suffered more than others. Rivers Philadelphia and other Philly-area casinos lost revenue. Live! Philadelphia opened in January. Other casinos in the southwestern part of the state also had their own struggles. Restrictions on alcohol service and smoking were lifted April 4. Online gaming has helped the industry survive COVID's impact. The record $404.1 million month of March was recorded in Pennsylvania casinos. The casinos failed to meet their same-venue revenue levels from two years ago.
