Payback can be a number of things, and in the casino business it’s left to chance.
The web site visitPAcasinos.com ranked the 12 casinos across the state by slot machine payback percentages for June and the Mohegan Sun Pocono fell below the state average.
Mohegan posted an 89.96 percent payback rate compared to the state average of 90.03 percent. It ranked sixth overall, three places behind Mount Airy Casino Resort in Monroe County with a 90.23 percent payback.
Parx Casino in Bensalem topped the list with a 90.74 percent payback and Presque Isle Downs & Casino in Erie came in last with at 89.18 percent.
Mike Bean, president of Mohegan Sun Pocono, didn’t argue with the casino’s percentage
“I think it’s accurate,” Bean said.
But, the comparison wasn’t apples to apples in his opinion.
The casinos differ in size, location, clientele and more importantly, the slot machines. The Plains Township venue has 2,332 machines on the gaming floor of various makes, models and denominations. It’s an ever changing mix, based on what the customers demand and that’s based on what they get back. The casino monitors the machines and replaces those that don’t put out.
“As we do that paybacks are a result of the mix” rather than a target to hit, Bean said Thursday.
The web site contained the caveat that one month’s numbers shouldn’t be used to predict future paybacks to patrons.
It included rankings based on data from the July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015 that showed Mohegan matched the state average of 89.94 percent.
Mount Airy
Mount Airy still ranked third, but its percentage fell to 90.12 percent. Parx held firm in first with 90.73 percent and Presque Isle didn’t budge from the bottom at 89.19 percent.
The high and low paybacks differed by less than 1 percentage point across the state, but when millions of dollars are wagered each month, it adds up.
For example, at Mohegan for every $100 put into a slot machine, $89.96 was paid back in June and the house kept $10.04. At Mount Airy, the payback was $90.23 and the house kept $9.77 of every $100 wagered.
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board reported $17.6 million were wagered on slots at Mohegan last month, the fifth largest amount among the 12 casinos. By comparison, $11.5 million were wagered on slots at Mount Airy that ranked ninth.
The slots’ payback, while lower than other casinos, might not be the deciding factor to go the Mohegan Sun Pocono, Bean said.
“We’re a resort destination,” he said, listing the bars and restaurants, hotel and entertainment offered. “It’s a complete experience. Gaming is a large part of the guest experience.”
Getting details
When he created visitPAcasinos.com, Mark Tevis knew people wanted to know the details.
Pennsylvania did not allocate a portion of casino revenues to support marketing, leaving it to the casinos to do it. With 12 operating casinos and two more licensed, there was no central location to provide information about each one. “That was kind of an unmet need,” Tevis said Friday.
Tevis, of Erie, transitioned from accounting to web site designer and internet marketer to concentrate on the developing the site that launched this year. It’s one-stop shop that provides objective data and indisputable number sourced from the PA Gaming Control Board.
The reception has been favorable from the public and the casinos, he said.
Parx Casino was appreciative of the payback rankings, he said.
“It kind of makes everyone step up their game,” Tevis said. “If those rankings come out and you’re lower, you could lose your clientele.”
The public and casinos have taken notice and so have lawmakers. He counted them among the subscribers to his monthly newsletter.