- Massachusetts licenses three casinos to operate, which brought in $87 million in gross revenue in May.
- This resulted in $25 million entering state coffers.
LAS VEGAS - Massachusetts’ casino industry saw growth in May, building upon an impressive April return.
March saw Massachusetts’ three casinos account for $84 million in gross gaming revenue, which rose slightly in April to $84.6 million. May, however, saw that number increase notably to $87 million.
In terms of tax revenue for the state, this was also a windfall - $25 million entered state coffers in May.
Notably, in May, Plainridge Park accounted for only $12.5 million of the $87 million in gross gaming revenue, but more than $6 million of the $25 million in state revenue.
This is because of the higher tax rate levied on Plainridge Park specifically.
Massachusetts taxes two of its facilities (MGM Springfield and Encore Boston Harbor) at a rate of 25%.
Plainridge Park, on the other hand, is taxed at a 49% rate.
Massachusetts Casino Restrictions
Massachusetts’ casinos have been operating under some amount of COVID-19 restrictions during much of this time.
However, in a meeting on May 26, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission voted to remove many COVID-19 related restrictions on gambling establishments.
The Chair of the committee, Cathy Judd-Stein, was thankful to the casinos for cooperating with the restrictions while they were in effect.
“It’s been 15 months since the Gaming Commission convened with all three casino licensees in a virtual setting to discuss the rapid reach of the coronavirus pandemic,” said Judd-Stein. “The three gaming licensees have cooperated fully throughout this process, working always to serve the public’s interests and protect their patrons and employees. We thank Plainridge Park Casino, MGM Springfield, and Encore Boston Harbor for their compliance and dedication to health and safety during this difficult period.”
The removal of these restrictions at the end of May could mean that June’s revenue might see another jump.