Which Games Generate the Most Revenue for Casinos?
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The Nevada Gaming Control Board’s recent report showed that 400+ casinos based in the State earned more money from players in 2021 than in any previous year. As seen on various publications like Sloterman, the report also revealed which slot games and table games generated the most revenue for the casinos.
It’s no wonder that blackjack remains the most popular casino table game, but game #2 is a bit of a shocker: roulette.
Despite new variations of the game that include triple zeros and multiple doubles, the roulette’s 424 units around the country raised $ 428 million, a 103% gain over the previous year. The casinos’ roulette hold was 19.87%.
For the calendar year, the State’s 1,958 blackjack tables won $ 1.13 billion. This was a 75.8% increase over the previous year’s winnings. Tables at blackjack won 14.1% of their bets.
The penny slot machine was the most popular slot, with 47,822 units across Nevada. That was a 59.7% increase compared to the previous year.
The Treasury Gets a Boost
The money held by a slot machine or at a table is deemed gross gaming revenue for the house. This is the money subject to State’s taxes.
The State collected $ 570.8 million in taxes in the first half of the fiscal year 2021-22 to pay for different government services. During the first six months of the fiscal year 2020-21, game tax collections increased by 31.1%.
The Unit Fee Paid by Casinos as Part of the Licensing
The control panel keeps track of slot machines and table game winnings by market. The payout on all slot machines went up by 0.25% across the country. Actually, in the last 25 years, the payout percentage of slot machines has only dropped three times. Such a low percentage increase is hardly noticeable to the average player.
However, in southern Nevada specifically, things were a bit different. In Laughlin, the slot win dropped by 0.17%. In downtown Las Vegas, the winning percentage for table games dropped by 0.34%, while in North Las Vegas, it dropped to 0.44%. Mesquite saw the most significant year-over-year rise, with a 1.31% increase in table gain.
Games That Favored Players
Back to the table games and slot machines denomination. So, based on the numbers, which casino games should you consider playing to get the greatest bang for your buck?
Nickel slot machines have the lowest payout percentage of any slot machines and hence, the highest payoff percentage for players. With $ 42.4M raised from 1,035 nickel slot machines around the country, casinos got 5.31% of the money that went into the machines.
Other good options include $ 5 slot machines, which kept 5.48% of the coin, and $ 25 slot machines, which kept 5.71%.
Craps, a game considered to have a higher player advantage than other table games, brought in $ 407.7M from 319 tables, up 54.4% from the previous year.
The Future Prospects Are Bright
“This record year demonstrates Nevada’s strength as a gaming destination,” said Brendan Bussmann, head of government affairs for Global Market Advisors in Las Vegas.
The positive results suggest that the Strip and downtown Las Vegas have much more potential, according to Bussmann, who added that business and international visitors have yet to return.
“While economic forces continue to impact gaming revenues, there is still space for improvement because these categories have not yet recovered to pre-pandemic levels.”
