Massachusetts Casinos and Sports Betting Revenue Reach $192.3 Million in January 2025

Casino Revenue Breakdown

Plainridge Park Casino, categorized as a slots-only facility, contributed significantly to the monthly gaming revenue. As a Category 2 slots establishment, PPC is taxed at a rate of 49% on GGR. Of that tax revenue, 82% is allocated to Local Aid, while the remaining 18% s the Race Horse Development Fund.

MGM Springfield and Encore Boston Harbor, operating as Category 1 resort-casinos, are subject to a 25% tax on their GGR. These funds are distributed among various state-designated programs per Massachusetts gaming regulations.

Since the launch of these casino operations, the state has accrued approximately $1.988 billion in total taxes and assessments from all three gaming facilities.

Sports Betting Revenue and Taxation

In addition to casino gaming, sports betting continues to contribute significantly to state revenues. EBH, MGM Springfield, and PPC operate under Category 1 Sports Wagering licenses, allowing them to offer retail sportsbook services at their properties. These operators are taxed at a rate of 15% on their TSWR.

Massachusetts also has eight active mobile/online sportsbooks licensed under Category 3, including Bally Bet, BetMGM, Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings, ESPN Bet, Fanatics Betting & Gaming, and FanDuel. These mobile operators are taxed at a slightly higher rate of 20% on their TSWR.

Betr and WynnBet had previously operated in the state under temporary licenses beginning in February 2023. However, neither renewed their licenses beyond the initial one-year period, leaving the market early in 2024.

The tax revenue from sports wagering is allocated as follows: 45% to the General Fund, 17.5% to the Workforce Investment Trust Fund, 27.5% to the Gaming Local Aid Fund, 1% to the Youth Development and Achievement Fund, and 9% to the Public Health Trust Fund. Since the launch of sports betting in Massachusetts, the state has collected approximately $241.3 million in taxes and assessments from these operations.

State regulations permit operators to carry forward losses in tax liability if their adjusted gross sports wagering receipts for a given month are negative due to winnings paid to bettors and federal excise taxes exceeding their total revenue.

Year-Over-Year and Month-Over-Month Performance

The January 2025 gaming revenue marks a 4.7% increase compared to January 2024, which recorded $93.5 million in GGR. However, the figures represent a 4% decline from December 2024, when casinos generated $102.1 million.

The latest report from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission details that slot machines ed for $66.2 million of January’s GGR, while table games contributed $31.7 million. Slot revenue reflected an 8% increase year-over-year, whereas table game revenue saw a slight decline of just under 3%. The state collected $27.7 million in taxes from casino gaming activities.

Encore Boston Harbor remained the leading revenue generator among the three casinos, reporting $61.4 million in GGR. Slot revenue ed for $34.3 million, while table games brought in $27.1 million. This total closely mirrored January 2024’s $60.9 million in revenue but reflected a 5% drop compared to December’s $64.8 million.

MGM Springfield recorded $22.7 million in January GGR, with $18.1 million from slots and $4.5 million from table games. This figure represents a 9% increase from the $20.7 million generated in January 2024. On a month-over-month basis, revenue remained steady compared to December’s $22.6 million.

Plainridge Park Casino, which exclusively operates slot machines, reported $13.7 million in GGR for January. This figure marked a 14% increase from the $11.8 million recorded in January 2024 but reflected a 5% month-over-month decrease from December’s $14.5 million.

Ongoing Legislative Developments

These revenue figures come as Massachusetts lawmakers consider legislation to introduce online casino gaming in the state. Proposed bills HD4084 and SD2240 have been introduced in the House and Senate, outlining a regulatory framework for iGaming expansion. If approved, online casinos could become a new revenue stream for the state, complementing existing brick-and-mortar gaming and sports betting operations.

Source:

‘’MGC Releases January 2025 Casino and Sports Wagering Revenue’’, massgaming.com, Feburary 20, 2025.