NEWS
19 April 2017
Pennsylvania’s poker room profits rise by over 5% in March 2017
By Robert Simmons
r rooms across the state of Pennsylvania recorded profits of $5.45m in March 2017, beating 2016’s figures for March by almost 5.4%.

The state’s 225 poker tables have already received over $15.3m so far this year and look set to beat the previous year’s revenue total of $58.6m.

Overall, poker tables in the state have generated revenue of $387.7m since table games began a decade ago.

The state’s two largest poker rooms, Parx and Sands Bethlehem, each made in excess of $1m for the month of March ($1,436,830 and $1,016,488) with the SugarHouse and Rivers rooms making $798,076 and $684,591 respectively.

Tribal casino Mohegan Sun’s 18-table poker room received revenue of $236,357 in March 2017.

The profits come amidst the ongoing debate in the state legislature as to whether to legalise online casino gaming, including peer-to-peer poker, bringing it under state control and regulation.

Press reports in the last few days indicate that US Attorney General Jeff Sessions is considering reinstituting the Interstate Wire Act, a move which could curtail the future of online poker rooms throughout the US.

Elsewhere in the US, live poker profits in New Jersey rose by 2.5% in March in contrast to a fall in profits generated by online poker of 8.5% to $2.25m.

Revenue from poker rooms increased by 20% in Maryland in March, but the figures were less than the previous growth of 30% in February and 34% in January.

Illinois poker revenue dropped 7.5% to $1.1m, with poker revenue in Indiana decreasing by 3% to $1.8m in March.