Mona Shield Payne / Special to the Sun
Dice roll across the craps table during the opening of the Downtown Grand Las Vegas Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas Sunday, October 27, 2013.
Friday, Feb. 28, 2020 | 9:58 a.m.
Nevada casinos continued a hot streak in January, topping $1 billion in house winnings for the second consecutive month and eighth time in the last year.
The state Gaming Control Board on Friday reported the statewide “casino win” figure was slightly lower than in December, but was up almost 5.5% compared with the same month in 2019.
Board analyst Michael Lawton said casinos reported increases in all categories, including table games, blackjack, roulette, sports betting, slot machines and baccarat.
Baccarat winnings sometimes jump or drop significantly in a month. They were up 17% in January, totaling more than $112 million. Lawton noted the game is a favorite of Asian tourists and the Chinese Lunar New Year fell in January this year. The holiday was in February last year.
The state collected $73 million in gambling taxes based on the monthly figure. Casino taxes are second to sales taxes as a percentage of Nevada's annual budget. The state has no personal income tax.
Las Vegas Strip casinos reported winnings up about 7.5% last month compared with January 2019, and downtown Las Vegas properties were up 13.5%.
Washoe County casino winnings increased 7.8% and South Lake Tahoe properties reported a nearly 18% jump in the year-over-year comparison.
