Nevada sportsbooks have worst football month in 12 years

Nevada casino sportsbooks posted their first losing football month in four years last month.

Figures released Tuesday by the Nevada Gaming Control Board show statewide gaming revenue of $1.04b in January, a healthy 12% higher than the same month last year and the highest monthly total since February 2013. The last time the state topped the $1b mark was July 2016.

The year-on-year gains were higher on the Las Vegas Strip, which rose 14.4% to $609m. But Downtown Las Vegas posted the month’s largest percentage gain, rising 32% to $55.5m, while North Las Vegas was up 26% to $28.7m and the Boulder Strip improved 24.5% to $84.9m.

January’s gains were driven by the timing of the Chinese New Year celebrations, which typically straddle the end of January and the beginning of February but this year came entirely in January. The Asian influx was reflected in the month’s baccarat revenue, which shot up over 55% to just under $158m as baccarat turnover jumped nearly 48% to $935m.