Gross receipts for casino-style table games at two Northern Panhandle resorts jumped 14 percent in March, topping $7.4 million, according to figures from the state Lottery Commission.
Gross receipts for casino-style table games at two Northern Panhandle resorts jumped 14 percent in March, topping $7.4 million, according to figures from the state Lottery Commission.
Table games at Mountaineer Racetrack and Wheeling Island have taken in $26 million since their launch late last year. Both tracks began operating a limited number of poker tables in mid-November, then launched a full array of table games late in December.
Revenues from the newly launched table gaming appears to be on pace to move into the neighborhood of traditional Lottery games. Those numbers are expected to go higher with the planned launch of table games at the former Tri-State Racetrack and Gaming Center in Nitro late this summer.
Online games brought in $9.77 million in March, up 38 percent. That number was boosted by a $276 million Powerball jackpot, won by eight co-workers in Monongalia County on March 15.
Powerball sales are jackpot-driven, going up with large jackpots, and then dropping sharply after the large jackpots are won. However, Lottery marketing director Libby White said Powerball sales since March 15 have topped $1 million a week, presumably because of publicity over the Monongalia County winners.
Traditional scratch-off games had $10.6 million in March sales.
Table games are also credited for a better-than-projected month for racetrack video lottery revenues, White said.
Racetrack video lottery revenue for March was $76.9 million, about 10 percent above estimates, White said.
Gross receipts for casino-style table games at two Northern Panhandle resorts jumped 14 percent in March, topping $7.4 million, according to figures from the state Lottery Commission.
Table games at Mountaineer Racetrack and Wheeling Island have taken in $26 million since their launch late last year. Both tracks began operating a limited number of poker tables in mid-November, then launched a full array of table games late in December.
Revenues from the newly launched table gaming appears to be on pace to move into the neighborhood of traditional Lottery games. Those numbers are expected to go higher with the planned launch of table games at the former Tri-State Racetrack and Gaming Center in Nitro late this summer.
Online games brought in $9.77 million in March, up 38 percent. That number was boosted by a $276 million Powerball jackpot, won by eight co-workers in Monongalia County on March 15.
Powerball sales are jackpot-driven, going up with large jackpots, and then dropping sharply after the large jackpots are won. However, Lottery marketing director Libby White said Powerball sales since March 15 have topped $1 million a week, presumably because of publicity over the Monongalia County winners.
Traditional scratch-off games had $10.6 million in March sales.
Table games are also credited for a better-than-projected month for racetrack video lottery revenues, White said.
Racetrack video lottery revenue for March was $76.9 million, about 10 percent above estimates, White said.
"The impact of table games is ahead of projections," she said.
Still, the March revenue figure is down $8.3 million from March 2007, as the West Virginia tracks deal with competition from newly launched video slots facilities in Pennsylvania.
Meanwhile, revenue from limited video lottery increased four percent, to $37.3 million, even though the total number of machines operating in bars and clubs around the state dropped to 7,769 in March, a decrease of 354 terminals.
Overall Lottery revenues for the month were $139.94 million, with the state's share of profits approaching $64.8 million.
For the first nine months of the 2007-08 budget year, Lottery revenues have topped $1.13 billion, with the state's share of profits in excess of $493 million.
Mountaineer Park and Wheeling Island have a total of 158 tables in their casinos, with blackjack accounting for 57 tables, and various types of poker accounting for 87 tables at the two tracks.
Other forms of gaming include two Big Six wheels, 11 craps tables, seven roulette tables, and one mini baccarat table.
To contact staff writer Phil Kabler, use e-mail or call 348-1220.
