January 2024 continues to prove to be an uninspiring month for brick-and-mortar casinos across the United States as more numbers come out. The statistics for the month from Missouri casinos are the latest reinforcement of that narrative.
The 13 licensed gaming facilities in the state reported over $135.4 million in January win, a significant decline compared to their revenue from the same month in 2023. That continues what has become a trend of marginal declines in casino revenue.
Missouri casinos treading water in January
According to the January 2024 gaming report by the Missouri Gaming Commission, revenue was down more than 12% in comparison to the previous January. That strengthens what has been a narrative of inconsistency for Missouri casino revenue in January. In January 2023, revenue was up 6% year-over-year while January 2022 was marginally down in a similar comparison.
As you would expect, admissions to Missouri’s 13 casinos for January 2024 were accordingly down 15% compared to January 2022. The comparison looks better when you take the entire fiscal year as a whole into consideration for both admissions and revenue. At the same time, Missouri casino operators are likely hoping for some performances that elevate that period.
January numbers are no help for current fiscal year
For the current fiscal year through its first seven months, Missouri casinos have won just over $1 billion from players enjoying poker, slots, and table games. Again, that’s a marginal decline from the first seven months of FY2022-23.
The same could be said for admissions into Missouri’s 13 casinos during those periods. Accordingly, fees and taxes based on that activity are also essentially the same as they were in the previous fiscal year.
Through January, Missouri has received $32.8 million in admissions fees and $228 million in gaming taxes. January contributed $4 million in admissions fees and $28.4 million in gaming taxes. While Missouri casinos did not manage to significantly improve on their numbers in an annual comparison, a slight decline beats how their counterparts in other states fared for the month.
For example, across-the-border casinos in Iowa saw their win drop by more than 14.4% year-over-year. That might be encouraging for operators of Missouri casinos but their measuring sticks are more likely to be their past performances. In that regard, they’re probably hoping for better returns in the coming months.