Hard Rock Bristol, Virginia casinos set new gaming revenue record--Bristol Herald Courier-David McGee

BRISTOL, Va. — Gaming operations at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol during May generated record play and revenues for the second time in three months, according to a new report from the Virginia lottery.

That corresponds to a record month for all Virginia casinos combined, reporting a combined $85.38 million in adjusted gaming revenues – wagers minus winnings – and over $15.3 million in gaming taxes.

Bristol’s Hard Rock Casino – not counting sportsbook – generated over $23.02 million in adjusted gaming revenue during the 31 days of May. That represents a 9.4% increase over the $21.04 million in April and a nearly 8% hike over the previous record $21.32 million reported in March, lottery figures show.

Both slots and table games set single-month AGR high marks. The casino’s 1,423 slot machines accounted for $18.74 million in adjusted revenues, eclipsing the previous high mark of $17.34 million established in March, an 8% increase.

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Hard Rock’s 73 table games generated $4.28 million in AGR during April, a 7.5% increase over the casino’s previous single-month record of $3.98 million, also recorded in March.

In its first six full months of operation, the Bristol Hard Rock reported over $124 million in AGR, including $102 million from slots and $22 million from table games.

All that May play was responsible for a record $4.14 million in gaming tax generation, with $1.38 million directed to the Regional Improvement Commission to be evenly distributed among 14 Southwest Virginia localities. Broken down, each locality including host city Bristol, will receive $98,685.78 from May.

The statewide revenue total from the state’s three operating casinos narrowly broke the former record of $85.19 million reported in March, lottery figures show.

For May, Rivers Casino Portsmouth established its single month record of $28.3 million in AGR, slightly better than its previous record $27.8 million reported in March. Caesars Virginia continued to report the state’s highest gaming revenues but its $34.05 million was about 5% less than the $35.9 million reported in March.

During May, Virginia casinos generated a combined $15.36 million in gaming taxes. Host city Danville will receive $2.04 million from play at Caesars Virginia while the city of Portsmouth will receive $1.69 million, according to the report.

Virginia’s problem gambling treatment and support fund will receive nearly $123,000 from May’s gaming operations.