Figures released on Monday by the Nevada Gaming Control Board showed October’s statewide casino revenue falling 2.9% from the same month last year to $887.6m. The decline was more pronounced on the Las Vegas Strip, where revenue fell 5.1% to $493.8m.
The numbers are a disappointment given September’s positive performance and particularly for spoiling a stellar month at the state’s licensed sports betting operators. Sportsbook revenue was up 21.8% to $33.6m on handle of $504.6m, the latter figure second only to November 2014’s $535m wagering total.
As ever, when the Strip’s overall numbers are worse than the statewide performance, high-volume baccarat is usually to blame. Sure enough, the game reported revenue falling 21.8% in October to $79.1m as hold slumped to 8.9% compared to 10.2% in the same month last year (which was itself down two points from October 2013).
Baccarat’s bust spoiled blackjack’s bonanza, as the game’s revenue rose 9.8% to $85.4m. Craps also had a good month, rising 13.1% to $34.4m, while roulette takings tumbled 45% to $18.3m. The rest of the table games finished as follows: pai gow poker ($8.5m, -4.8%), mini-baccarat ($6.9m, -9%), let it ride ($3m, -12.3%), keno ($2.7m, (+9.3%), while other games & tables rose 12.8% to $14.8m.
The state’s poker revenue – which includes both land-based card rooms and Nevada’s two licensed online poker sites – was flat at $8.7m. Total statewide slots revenue was down 1.4% to $572.2m on a similar decrease in slots handle.
As for the sportsbooks, football had a great month, with revenue up 38.7% to $23.5m on a 5.9% hold. The World Series didn’t help baseball’s fortunes, as revenue fell 34.3% to $2.5m. Basketball was down 5% to $1.6m while other sports added $920k and parlay cards jumped 11.2% to $5.1m.