Nevada casinos won $11.1 billion last year, best since 2008

By Cy Ryan

Published Friday, Jan. 31, 2014 | 7:44 a.m.

Updated Friday, Jan. 31, 2014 | 9:49 a.m.

CARSON CITY — Nevada casinos ended 2013 with a strong win of $1 billion in December, up 9.6 percent from the same month in 2012.

The state Gaming Control Board reported today that the industry’s gross win for the year was $11.1 billion, an increase of 2.5 percent from 2012 and the most since 2008.

The board reported that 58.4 percent of the 2013 statewide win came from Strip casinos, the largest percentage recorded.

“It’s been increasing every year,” board analyst Michael Lawton said. In 2004, the Strip accounted for 50.5 percent of the state’s gaming win.

He attributed the growth to the increasing popularity of baccarat. In 2003, the baccarat win amounted to 7.6 percent of money won on the Strip; last year it was 24.4 percent.

Lawton said the increase in December was paced by baccarat, which registered its second-highest win ever of $242.9 million. In December, Las Vegas Strip casinos reported revenue of $664.2 million, up 12.9 percent. The win at the baccarat tables was up 32 percent and the slot machine win was up 16.4 percent.

The win was down 12.5 percent for blackjack, 16.3 percent for craps and 22.9 percent for roulette.

For the year, the winnings at Las Vegas Strip casinos was $6.5 billion, a 4.8 percent increase from 2012.

The win in December was up 12.9 percent to $41.7 million at downtown Las Vegas casinos, 24.3 percent to $24.1 million at North Las Vegas casinos and 15.5 percent to $67.4 million at Boulder Highway casinos.

The board said winnings in Laughlin dropped 8.9 percent to $30.2 million, in Mesquite increased 0.5 percent to $9.2 million and in the balance of Clark County increased 7.2 percent to $86.2 million.

Winnings in Washoe County fell 0.9 percent to $55.3 million, in South Lake Tahoe fell 24.6 percent to $15.7 million and in the Carson Valley area dipped 1.8 percent to $7.7 million.

For downtown Las Vegas casinos, the gross win for 2013 was $500.9 million, down 1.6 percent; Laughlin was off 1.5 percent to $455.1 million; casinos on Boulder Highway reported a decline of 1.2 percent to $786.9 million; North Las Vegas fell 5.3 percent to $259.1 million; Mesquite was off 3.7 percent to $113.1 million; and the balance of Clark County had a 1.9 percent increase to $1 billion.