Dip in 2014 gaming win blamed on lagging Baccarat

Total gaming win by Nevada casinos fell 1.1 percent in 2014, ending a streak of four consecutive increases.

And according to Gaming Control Board Analyst Mike Lawton, the problem was Baccarat that, for the year, was 5.9 percent down compared to 2013. The high-stakes game still raked in more than $1.5 billion, nearly a half billion more than the second place game “21.”

The year finished in December with an 8 percent decrease in winnings. Lawton said the entire $83 million decrease can be blamed on Baccarat, which came in nearly $85 million below December 2013’s totals.

Total win for the state was just more than $11 billion in 2014.But Lawton said it was a tough comparison since, in 2013, game and table win increased 7.7 percent driven by a 16 percent increase in Baccarat. Total game and table win in 2013 set an all time record for the state at $4.4 billion.

Slot win statewide was also down in 2014, but only by a tenth of a percent to $6.7 billion. Slots still account for more than 60 percent of total win.

In a bit of good news, total “coin in” for the slots was up a bit to $138.4 billion. Lawton said that at least gives gamers some hope the mass market players are beginning to return to Nevada casinos, which could eventually lessen the monthly win swings caused by Baccarat.

Lower gas prices, he said, should also help bring those players back.

Carson Valley Area casinos, including the capital and valley establishments in Douglas County, raked in a total of $97 million for the year. That is down nine tenths of a percent from 2013 and marks the area’s ninth consecutive declines.

Game and Table win was up by 8.2 percent in Carson but that category only accounted for $6.8 million of the total.

Washoe County casinos won $752.4 million, down two tenths from a year ago. Washoe now brings in just 6.8 percent of total gaming win in the state, less than half the 15.2 percent it accounted for in 1992.

South Shore casinos at Lake Tahoe were down another eight tenths in 2014, winning $207.1 million.

North Lake Tahoe casinos at Crystal Bay suffered a 5.6 percent decrease in winnings for the year for a total of $25.6 million.