Wednesday, May 26, 1999 | 9:15 a.m.
CARSON CITY - Nevada merchants had another good month- $2.6 billion in March sales - and that in turn produced a 14.5 percent gain in sales tax collections compared with the same month in 1998.
The sales and revenue report Tuesday from the state Taxation Department follows a recent Gaming Control Board report that showed the state's cut of the money won by casinos in March was down slightly.
Combined, sales and gambling tax revenues account for two-thirds of the money needed to run state government.
The 14.5 percent sales tax increase keeps the growth in the state's share of sales taxes for the fiscal year to date at a healthy 9.5 percent.
The average is higher than the 6.9 percent growth that had been projected earlier for the entire fiscal year by the state Economic Forum. The forum's dismal forecast last fall prompted Gov. Kenny Guinn to call for numerous budget cuts. But that forecast was recently updated to reflect economic improvements.
A breakdown of the latest sales report shows the Las Vegas area was up 16.7 percent and Reno-area sales were up 10.6 percent.
Statewide, auto sales were up 9.8 percent; general merchandise sales were up 15.3 percent; clothing store sales were up 11.7 percent; and building supply sales were up 10.6 percent.
A tourism-related category, eating and drinking places, was up 16 percent statewide. A breakdown shows a 19.5 percent gain in the Las Vegas area and a 10.6 percent increase in the Reno area.
The state's share of sales taxes during March totaled $52.9 million. For the entire fiscal year, the total is $418.6 million.
The sales tax report follows a recent GCB report showing that the Mandalay Bay megaresort opening on the Las Vegas Strip helped to produce a big $747 million win in March for Nevada casinos - but the state's tax take from the clubs was down slightly.
The board said the $747 million casino income in March represents a 10.9 percent jump compared with the same month last year. But the state's cut was down 0.8 percent.
That dropped the state's average gain on casino taxes for the fiscal year to date to 8.4 percent. That's getting close to an earlier estimate of 8.2 percent for the entire fiscal year, which ends June 30.
The actual casino tax take in March was $55.9 million. For the fiscal year to date, the total is $411.3 million.
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