Nevada gaming revenue fell 99.4% year-on-year to just $5.8m in May, though this total represented an improvement on April’s $3.6m total.
The state’s casinos remained shuttered throughout the month as a result of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. Venues only reopened from June 4, with strict health and safety measures in place.
As a result the only sources of revenue were mobile sports betting and poker, as well as a small contribution from land-based slot machines in retail outlets.
The Nevada Gaming Control Board is not permitted to provide figures for a single operator, as would have been the case for online poker, where Caesars’ WSOP.com is the only product available statewide. As such the individual figures for betting and poker were redacted.
However, the two products generated combined revenue of $5.6m, a 56.4% improvement on April’s total of $3.6m. This meant that all revenue for table, counter and card games was down 98.2% year-on-year.
The state’s revenue in these areas came on stakes of $45.3m.
A further $229,000 in revenue came from slot machines, again an improvement on April’s $79,000 figure, but still 99.97% short of May 2019’s total.
While the state’s casinos reopened for business on June 4, they are limited to 50% maximum occupancy, with regulations having twice been updated in the past month.
First, the wearing of masks was made mandatory at gaming tables from June 18, then last week Governor Steve Sisolak announced that masks were compulsory in all public spaces.