July was the strongest month for the state’s three casinos, according to the Virginia Lottery.
Thanks to the relatively recent addition of Caesars Danville, Virginia casinos produced $57.3 million in gaming revenue in July.
Caesars Casino received the license in April and opened its temporary facility in Danville on May 15. June was Caesars’s first full operational month, helping the state casinos collect $50 million. It was also the first time Virginia’s casino industry surpassed $50 million in revenue. The July revenue figure was even more impressive, representing almost a 10% increase month-over-month.
In fact, Virginia casinos’ revenue has been increasing since the beginning of the year:
- July: $57.3 million
- June: $52.2 million
- May: $45.5 million
- April: $35.37 million
- March: $37.4 million
- February: $38.3 million
- January: $22.4 million
Rivers Casino tops its competitors in July
As the Virginia Lottery reported, Rivers Casino Portsmouth collected almost $22.4 million in July, outperforming its competition. The casino reported:
- $14.3 million from slots (a 5.15% increase from June’s $13.6 million)
- $6.8 million from the tables (1.45% decrease from June’s $6.9 million)
Rivers Portsmouth has been operating since January and is the biggest casino in Virginia, featuring 1422 slots and 81 table games. It is the only permanent gaming facility among the three.
During July, Caesars Danville Casino brought in about $21.4 million in gaming revenue, a 13.2% monthly increase from June’s $18.9 million. More precisely, the casino generated:
- About $15.9 million in revenues from its 767 slot machines (a 10.4% monthly increase from June’s $14.4 million)
- Nearly $5.5 million from its 25 table games (a 22.2% monthly increase from June’s $4.5 million)
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Bristol, which has been operating for a year now, came in third with a total gaming revenue of $13.5 million. Throughout July, the casino made:
- $11.0 million from 908 slots (5.8% monthly increase from June’s $10.4 million)
- $2.5 million from 29 table games (8.7% increase from June’s $2.2 million)
The Hard Rock is also a temporary gaming facility and, therefore, has fewer gaming positions.
Three Virginia casinos surpass $10 million in taxes
The three Virginia casinos paid a combined $10.3 million in taxes to the Gaming Proceeds Fund in July. The figure is a new record and a 9.8% monthly increase from $9.4 million paid in June.
Here’s how much each of the gaming venues produced throughout July:
- HR Bristol: $2,435,989.62
- Rivers Casino Portsmouth: $4,023,767.30
- Caesars Virginia: $3,853,514.58
Virginia law assesses a graduated tax on a casino’s revenue, which is calculated as total bets minus winnings.
Of the state tax on casino gaming revenue, the statute specifies distributions to
- Problem Gambling Treatment and Support Fund
- Family and Children’s Trust Fund
- Host city