Nevada Poker Rooms Rake $8 Million In August

Written By Brian Pempus on October 3, 2016
Nevada poker rooms

[toc]Nevada poker rooms raked a combined $8.24 million from their cash game tables during August, according to figures released Thursday from Silver State gaming regulators.

The amount was 3.23 percent less than the $8.51 million raked in August 2015.

There were 67 poker rooms with a combined 655 poker tables statewide in August.

Nevada poker revenue includes money from regulated internet poker, but because there are not at least three operators, the state doesn’t give a breakdown between live and online.

Strip performance

Poker rooms on or around the Las Vegas Strip raked $5.02 million during the month, which reflects a year-over-year decrease of 2.17 percent. There were 21 poker rooms with a combined 314 tables there during August.

About half of Strip-area casinos offer cash game poker.

Summer 2016 Nevada poker results

Between June and August, Nevada poker rooms raked $36.71 million. The decline in August followed back-to-back months of year-over-year gains.

Poker rake was $35.81 million in summer 2015.

The annual World Series of Poker at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino ran from June 1 to July 18 this year.

That’s been roughly the same schedule over the past decade, though May missed out on a few days of action this year. July 2016 had four more WSOP days than July 2015.

Here’s a look at Nevada poker revenue so far in 2016 with year-over-year change:

  • January: $9.5 million (2.85-percent decrease)
  • February: $8.98 million (5.44-percent increase)
  • March: $9.68 million (0.01-percent decrease)
  • April: $8.57 million (0.86-percent increase)
  • May: $8.88 million (13.92-percent decrease)
  • June: $16.14 million (1.88-percent increase)
  • July: $12.33 million (7.63-percent increase)
  • August: $8.24 million (3.23-percent decrease)

How does August compare to previous years?

According to research from the University of Nevada Las Vegas, the $8.23 million was the weakest August result in more than a decade.

Here’s a look at August rake dating back to 2004:

  • 2004: $8.78 million
  • 2005: $11.72 million
  • 2006: $13.79 million (WSOP ended Aug. 10 this year)
  • 2007: $12.97 million
  • 2008: $13.07 million
  • 2009: $11.14 million
  • 2010: $10.10 million
  • 2011: $9.85 million
  • 2012: $9.00 million
  • 2013: $9.46 million
  • 2014: $9.01 million
  • 2015: $8.51 million

Looking at the past 12 months

Between Sept. 1, 2015 and Aug. 31, 2016, Nevada poker rooms raked $117.7 million, which was nearly unchanged from the same period a year prior.

The poker rooms raked just over $118 million in calendar year 2015, which was a 1.57 percent decline compared to 2014’s $119.9 million. Poker revenue was $123.9 million in 2013.

The all-time high for Nevada poker was in 2007, when cash game revenue was $167.9 million.

What’s next

The fall is typically slow for Nevada poker compared to the summer and around the New Year.

Here’s rake from the final four months of 2015 to give you an idea of how 2016 might close out:

  • September: $8.34 million
  • October: $8.73 million
  • November: $8.97 million
  • December: $9.36 million

Image credit: Andrew Zarivny / Shutterstock.com

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Brian Pempus

Brian Pempus has worked in the gaming industry since 2009. He is a Penn State grad and lives in Cincinnati, OH.

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