Silver State casinos won $854.3 million in April, a 0.16 percent decline from the same time last year, the Nevada Gaming Control Board reported Monday. The state collected $47.2 million in taxes on that haul, a 2.8 percent drop from last April.
But slot winning mostly offset the table game decline. Gamblers poured $8.9 billion into the noisy, flashing machines in April, and casinos kept nearly 7 percent of that, increasing their winnings by $8 million over the previous year.
State analysts had expected the April win report to be lackluster compared with April 2012, a particularly strong month with an extra Sunday and a 15 percent jump in baccarat winnings helping spur a 6 percent revenue surge.
"We knew this month going in we were facing a tough comparison," said Mike Lawton, senior analyst with the state Gaming Control Board. He expects May and June to be easier comparisons.
Despite the weak month, the Nevada casino industry continues to claw its way back from the recession. Overall winnings are up 2.4 percent for the year, and revenue on the Strip is up 5 percent.
Baccarat continues to power Nevada's casino industry, thanks in part to the increase of serious Asian gamblers here. A volatile game where gamblers are dealt two cards and predict whether they will beat the banker, Baccarat has become a staple at high end resorts, where they are held in secluded gambling salons and can start out a minimum of $10,000 per hand.
