STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE
MARCH WAS A GOOD MONTH for the state’s three gambling centers and the state’s coffers. Plainridge Park Casino, MGM Springfield, and Encore Boston Harbor cumulatively generated more than $102 million in gaming revenue, about $28.6 million of which will be due to the state.
In terms of revenue, March was the best month on record for Encore Boston Harbor, the third-best month ever for MGM Springfield, and the second-best month for Plainridge Park Casino since Encore opened, the Gaming Commission announced.
Encore brought in $64.87 million last month, MGM reported a haul of $24.28 million, and Plainridge took in about $12.94 million in March.
Encore’s record month was fueled by wagers on slot machines. More than $442 million was spent on slots at the Everett casino and Encore’s take was $35.2 million. Both amounts were records. Encore reported $29.7 million in gaming revenue from table games, which was high but not a record month.
Encore’s March gaming revenue translates into $16.2 million in state taxes and fees, MGM’s take will result in just more than $6 million for the state, and Plainridge’s revenue will yield about $6.34 million for the state. In all, the state is due roughly $28.6 million in March gaming revenues and fees.
Since Plainridge opened in June 2015, Massachusetts has collected nearly $1.05 billion from casino-style gambling.
Encore and MGM are each taxed at a rate of 25 percent of gross gaming revenue and the money collected is split into various buckets, like local aid, the Transportation Infrastructure Fund, and an education fund. Plainridge Park pays a 49 percent tax on its gross gaming revenue, with 82 percent of what is collected earmarked for local aid and the remaining 18 percent allotted to the state’s Race Horse Development Fund.