Posted on: September 21, 2023, 09:32h.
Last updated on: September 21, 2023, 09:32h.
Parx Casino, one of Pennsylvania’s two smoke-free casinos, continues to dominate the state’s retail gaming industry.
Parx made the decision to remain smoke-free following the COVID-19 pandemic. Owned and operated by Greenwood Gaming & Entertainment, Parx Casino Shippensburg, a Category 4 “mini-casino,” was also opened without a designated smoking section.
In August 2023, Parx Casino in Bensalem generated approximately $50.1 million in brick-and-mortar gross gaming revenue (GGR) from slots and table games, making it the highest earner among Pennsylvania’s 18 land-based casinos. Wind Creek Bethlehem came in second at $45.2 million.
Despite the absence of smoking, Parx Casino was the top earner in the land-based market last year, generating around $598.6 million in GGR, surpassing Wind Creek by almost $83 million.
Smoking Discussion
Rep. Dan Frankel (D-Alleghany) recently introduced legislation to eliminate the indoor smoking loophole provided to Pennsylvania’s commercial casinos through the Pennsylvania Clean Indoor Air Act of 2008.
During a House Health Committee hearing, Richard Schuetz, a casino industry veteran and former regulator, testified that smoking in casinos needs to be addressed. Schuetz, who worked alongside Sheldon Adelson and Steve Wynn during his career, emphasized the health hazards of secondhand smoke and questioned the continuation of allowing smoking in casinos.
Schuetz cited CDC research stating that ventilation systems do not fully eliminate the health risks of secondhand smoke. He also expressed concern about the impact of smoking sections on problem gamblers.
“It’s a breakdown in morality that I just don’t understand,” Schuetz declared.
Schuetz highlighted that casino smoking sections are like “throwing out a welcome mat for problem gamblers.”
Pennsylvania Gaming Roundup
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board recently imposed a $45,000 fine on a Pilot Flying J for allowing an underage person to gamble on their video gaming terminals (VGTs) at the Smithton location. The fine was also due to the truck stop’s failure to have a PGCB-credentialed employee on duty during VGT operations.
In other regulatory matters, the PGCB announced the banning of four adults for leaving their children unattended in vehicles while they gambled. One case involved a female patron who left three children alone in her running vehicle for over two hours while she played slot machines at Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course.
Mohegan Pocono also announced plans to remove about 120 slot machines from its casino floor due to the increasing presence of unregulated “skill games” in the region. With this removal, there will be approximately 1,500 remaining slots at Mohegan Pocono.
According to Mohegan Pocono President Anthony Carlucci, there is a direct correlation between the decline in slot volume at the casino and the rise of skill gaming machines in the Wilkes-Barre area.