Casino Revenues Continue To Tumble

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – A dismal December closed out another year of declining revenue at Mississippi casinos.

Mississippi Department of Revenue figures show statewide casino revenue fell 9.5 percent from December 2012 to $168.3 million in the last month of 2013.

The 12 coastal casinos won $85.6 million from gamblers, down 5.2 percent from December 2012. The 18 river casinos from Tunica to Natchez won $82.7 million, down 13.5 percent from a year earlier.

Revenue statewide fell 4.7 percent for year to $2.14 billion. After peaking at nearly $2.9 billion in 2007, Mississippi casinos in 2013 won less than they did in 1997. Casinos have cut thousands of jobs to reduce costs and bolster profits during the revenue slide.

The numbers exclude Choctaw Indian casinos, which aren’t required to report winnings to the state.