Pa. casinos top $3B in revenue in 2011

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania gambling regulators say gross revenue at the state’s 10 casinos topped $3 billion in 2011 as slot-machine revenue grew steadily and gamblers played table games for a full year.

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board said today the results represent a nearly 22 percent increase from 2010. Gross revenue is the amount left over after payouts.

Slot-machine revenue rose almost 6 percent to $2.4 billion, while table games revenue almost doubled to $619 million. Table games were legalized in early 2010 and the casinos didn’t install the games until at least midway through the year.

Pennsylvania’s first casinos opened in 2006, and are threatening to surpass Atlantic City as the nation’s second-largest gambling market. In 2011, Atlantic City’s casinos won $3.3 billion, down nearly 7 percent from 2010.