The February revenue figures were good news for Massachusetts casinos.
And the state observed a landmark in tax collections as well.
The three commercial casinos in Massachusetts – Encore Boston Harbor in Everett, MGM Springfield and Plainridge Park in Plainville – all reported boosts in February handle and revenue over the state’s January numbers.
The combined casino handle (amount wagered) in February was $705,821,001, a 3.5% increase over the $681,851,372 reported in January by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission.
Encore saw its handle increase from $343.6 million to $366.2 million. MGM saw its action rise from $169.1 million to $186.4 million. And Plainridge reported nearly $153 million in February handle, a boost of about $15 million over the previous month’s $138 million.
The gaming numbers at the state’s casinos tend to pick up in summer, when the weather is better. In July 2021 the state set its handle record at $807.9 million. Both MGM and Encore set their individual records that month as well.
One important number to emerge from February’s report was that the state’s casinos have now combined to contribute $1 billion in tax revenue since they have opened.
Since opening in 2015, Plainridge Park has contributed $477.25 million to the state in taxes. Encore, which opened in 2019, has contributed $347.2 million. The rest, $194.4 million, has come from MGM Springfield since it opened in 2018.
The two regular casinos with both table games and slot machines, MGM and Encore, give 25% of their revenues to the state in taxes. At Plainridge, which only offers slots, the rate is 49%.
There are no real money online casino options in the state.
The revenue collected at the Massachusetts casinos rose 3.9% in February in a month-over-month comparison. The state revenue was $85,625,086 in February, with $54.7 million from Encore, $19.9 million at MGM and $10.95 million at Plainridge Park.
At Encore, $31 million in revenue came from slots and $23.69 million from table games. MGM Springfield reported $15.7 million of slot revenue and $4.22 million from table games.
The state’s revenue record happened in October, when Massachusetts coffers took in $95.98 million.
Jim Tomlin has more than 30 years of experience in sports journalism as an editor and writer. He has covered pro and college sports from football, baseball, basketball, soccer, golf, motorsports and more for publications such as the Tampa Bay Times, SaturdayDownSouth.com, SaturdayTradition.com and FanRag Sports. He now lends his expertise to akfxoqsd.shop, among other duties.
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