Nevada casino winnings in December push 2019 total past $12B

Thursday 30th January 2020

Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020 | 1:08 p.m.

Nevada casinos reaped more than $1 billion in winnings in December, pushing the tally for 2019 past $12 billion in a key index of state fiscal health.

The statewide "casino win" figure was up almost 5.8% compared with the same month in 2018, and the Nevada Gaming Control Board said Thursday that the first six months of the fiscal year have seen a 2.1% jump in casino winnings.

The state collected more than $50 million in taxes based on the December figures, up 2.7% from a year ago.

Monthly house winnings topped $1 billion for the seventh time in the calendar year, but fell just short of the high of almost $1.06 billion set in September.

Overall, regulators said winnings during 2019 were up 1% from 2018, and a year-end analysis reported a steady 10-year average growth of 1.5% in slot machine and table game winnings since 2010.

Gambling tax revenue is second to sales taxes as a percentage of Nevada's annual budget. The state has no personal income tax.