Casino win down 12.5 percent in July

Nevada casinos won less than $873 million from gamblers in July, a 12.5 percent drop from the same month last year and the 19th straight month of year-over-year declines, the state Gaming Control Board reported Thursday.

In some areas of the state, July's casino win is the smallest reported in more than two decades, stark evidence that the recession is far from over for Nevada's tourism-dependent economy as gamblers keep money in their pockets.

Making July's figures more discouraging is that fact they are compared with the same month last year, when the statewide casino win was down 13 percent from the same month in 2007.

Double-digit declines have been reported in nine of the last 10 months.

The state in July collected $57.3 million in casino taxes, down 1.6 percent.

The July win was the amount left in casino coffers after gamblers wagered $9.3 billion on slot machines and $2.1 billion at table games. There were declines in both types of gambling.

Statewide, casinos won $281.5 million from table games, down 7.7 percent from the same month last year, and $578 million from slots, down 14.7 percent, the report said.

On the Las Vegas Strip, which generates about half the state's total gaming revenues, casinos reported winning $461.3 million, down 11.1 percent from $519.2 million in July 2008.

In Washoe County the total casino win was $71.2 million, down 19.5 percent compared with July 2008. It was the area's 25th straight month on decline and its smallest reported gaming win since 1987, Streshley said.

Casinos on the south shore of Lake Tahoe reported winning $27.3 million, a 33.2 percent decline and the smallest gaming win for that market reported in more than quarter century. Revenues fell about 7 percent in other areas of Douglas County.