Massachusetts Casinos Pass Tax Milestone Amid February Revenue Rise

The February revenue figures were good news for Massachusetts casinos.

And the state observed a landmark in tax collections as well.

The three commercial casinos in Massachusetts – Encore Boston Harbor in Everett, MGM Springfield and Plainridge Park in Plainville – all reported boosts in February handle and revenue over the state’s January numbers.

The combined casino handle (amount wagered) in February was $705,821,001, a 3.5% increase over the $681,851,372 reported in January by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission.

Encore saw its handle increase from $343.6 million to $366.2 million. MGM saw its action rise from $169.1 million to $186.4 million. And Plainridge reported nearly $153 million in February handle, a boost of about $15 million over the previous month’s $138 million.

The gaming numbers at the state’s casinos tend to pick up in summer, when the weather is better. In July 2021 the state set its handle record at $807.9 million. Both MGM and Encore set their individual records that month as well.

Tax Collection Passes $1 Billion All-Time

One important number to emerge from February’s report was that the state’s casinos have now combined to contribute $1 billion in tax revenue since they have opened.

Since opening in 2015, Plainridge Park has contributed $477.25 million to the state in taxes. Encore, which opened in 2019, has contributed $347.2 million. The rest, $194.4 million, has come from MGM Springfield since it opened in 2018.

The two regular casinos with both table games and slot machines, MGM and Encore, give 25% of their revenues to the state in taxes. At Plainridge, which only offers slots, the rate is 49%.

There are no real money online casino options in the state.

Massachusetts Casino Revenue Breakdown

The revenue collected at the Massachusetts casinos rose 3.9% in February in a month-over-month comparison. The state revenue was $85,625,086 in February, with $54.7 million from Encore, $19.9 million at MGM and $10.95 million at Plainridge Park.

At Encore, $31 million in revenue came from slots and $23.69 million from table games. MGM Springfield reported $15.7 million of slot revenue and $4.22 million from table games.

The state’s revenue record happened in October, when Massachusetts coffers took in $95.98 million.