Massachusetts Casino Revenue Nearly $100 Million in April

In Massachusetts, gambling continues to thrive with the Bay State’s casinos racking up close to $100 million in gross gaming revenue (GGR) during April. These impressive figures resulted in a substantial $27.9 million in taxes being generated.

April’s gross gaming revenue (GGR) of $99.1 million experienced a minor decline of less than 3% compared to March’s $102 million. The notable increase in March’s GGR was attributed to the popular college basketball tournament, March Madness. Additionally, the tax revenue collected in March amounted to $28.6 million, which closely mirrored the proportional amount gathered in April. In a year-on-year comparison, April’s revenue showed a positive growth of 15% in comparison to April 2021 ($84.6 million), while taxes experienced a 14% increase from the previous April ($24.1 million).

Massachusetts residents can only legally place wagers within the state at the three brick-and-mortar facilities, as online casinos are not yet available.

Encore Boston Harbor

Encore Boston Harbor dominated Massachusetts GGR in April, comprising approximately 66% and reaching a staggering $63.7 million. The revenue distribution between slots and table games was almost balanced, with slots generating $34.1 million and table games contributing $29.6 million. Consequently, the tax revenue amounted to $15.9 million.

Despite a 1.9% drop from March’s $64.9 million, casino revenue managed to exceed statewide monthly figures. Remarkably, it remained the second-highest GGR recorded in recent months, surpassing even some months during the 2021 NFL season.

• April: $63.7 million
• March: $64.9 million
• February: $54.7 million
• January: $54 million
• December: $62.4 million
• November: $55.2 million
• October: $62.8 million

The casino’s tax payment for this month is almost $16 million, which is 21% higher than the amount paid in April 2021 ($12.5 million). The payment falls just $300,000 short of matching the $16.2 million paid in March.

MGM Springfield

In April, MGM Springfield, the second-largest casino in Massachusetts, recorded a total gaming revenue (GGR) of $22.5 million. Although this figure is lower than March’s $24.3 million, it demonstrates a significant improvement compared to February’s earnings of $19.9 million. Additionally, it marks a 2.7% growth from April 2021’s GGR of $21.9 million.

MGM Springfield witnessed the domination of slots, as they accounted for over 80% of the casino’s activities, generating $18.4 million in slot GGR. The remaining portion, amounting to $4.1 million, was contributed by table games.

In the month, the casino’s state tax payment amounted to $5.6 million, showing an increase compared to last April’s $5.4 million. However, it was lower than the $6.1 million paid in March, but surpassed the $5 million paid in February.

The gross gaming revenue (GGR) of MGM Springfield since October of the previous year has been…

• April: $22.5 million
• March: $24.3 million
• February: $19.9 million
• January: $18.6 million
• December: $22.2 million
• November: $21.7 million
• October: $21.4 million 

Plainridge Park Casino

Plainridge Park Casino, also known as PPC, is categorized as a Type 2 casino that exclusively offers slot machines.

PPC’s revenue reached $12.9 million, falling only $29,000 short of the revenue achieved in March. This corresponds to a 3% growth compared to April 2021, during which the casino generated $12.5 million in gross gaming revenue (GGR).

For the second month in a row, PPC has once again paid $6.3 million in state taxes, as taxes equivalent to 49% of Category 2 casino GGR are required.

Recent Plainridge Park GGR:

• April: $12.9 million
• March: $12.9 million
• February: $11 million
• January: $9.8 million
• December: $11 million
• November: $11 million
• October: $11.7 million

Building on a milestone

In February, the gaming revenue in Massachusetts achieved a significant milestone by generating $1 billion in proceeds from taxes and assessments.

With Massachusetts casinos reporting a gross gaming revenue of nearly $100 million in April, an additional $27.9 million was added to the running total. As a result, it is highly probable that the total revenue will exceed $1.1 billion this summer and continue to grow steadily.

In 2011, the Expanded Gaming Act (EGA) became law, authorizing the operation of three casino resorts and establishing a lucrative source of revenue for the state.

Since then, revenue has been allocated to 12 various development sectors which contribute to the support of local entities and funding for numerous statewide services. These services include transportation, education, debt and long-term liability reduction, as well as economic development in the gaming industry.

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission website provides a comprehensive breakdown of GGR tax allocations.