After a down month in November, gaming revenues at Massachusetts’ two casinos rebounded in December, delivering nearly $12.3 million to the state in taxes.

Players wagered $194.26 million on MGM Springfield’s slot machines last month and while 92.66 percent of it was returned to players as winnings, MGM Springfield reported $14.26 million in gross slot revenue in December. The casino also counted $7.33 million in gross revenue from its table games for total monthly revenue of about $21.58 million, according to revenue figures released Tuesday by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission.

While gamblers wagered about 15 percent more on MGM Springfield’s slots in December than in November, the casino reported its total gaming revenue – which includes table game revenue – increased just 1.55 percent from November to December.

Full-scale casinos in Massachusetts are taxed at a rate of 25 percent of their gross gaming revenue and the monthly state tax haul from MGM in December was $5.4 million, the Gaming Commission said.

At Plainridge Park Casino in Plainville, officials reported slots revenue of $14.09 million last month from $178.71 million in wagers, the commission said.

At the same time, slots revenue at Connecticut’s two major casinos was down slightly.

Foxwoods Resort Casino’s slot-machine revenue declined by 5.2 percent last month while Mohegan Sun’s was down by less than 1 percent, figures released Tuesday show.

The year-over-year declines were more modest than those the casinos experienced in October and November.

In December, Foxwoods “won,” or kept, $2 million less than it won in December 2017. Mohegan Sun won $300,000.

Foxwoods’ slots “handle” – the total amount wagered before prizes were paid out – was $632.9 million, up by less than 1 percent.

Ray Pineault, Mohegan Sun’s president and general manager, said he was happy with his casino’s December slots revenue. He noted that the casino lost two big entertainment dates during the month when Justin Timberlake was forced to cancel Mohegan Sun Arena performances scheduled for Dec. 21 and 22.

Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.

Gaming Revenues Up in Springfield, Down in Connecticut

by State House News Service time to read: 1 min
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