The state of Nevada saw some major gaming revenue numbers in September despite some downward trends in the U.S. economy. The state saw a total “gaming win” (revenue) of almost $1.3 billion for the month, according to the Nevada Gaming Control Board.
That’s a 1.7% increase compared to September 2022’s gaming win of $1.2 billion. The Vegas Strip was the largest contributor to that total, adding $741 million to Clark County’s total of $1.1 billion. This Strip total produced an increase of almost 7% from $693.1 million in September 2022.
Downtown Las Vegas revenue dropped for September compared to the same month the previous year, producing $68.4 million. That’s a slide of 7.9% from $74.2 million in 2022.
Table game play saw a hefty increase of 16.6% from September 2022 to $456 million. Slot machine win saw a drop of 5.1%, however, to $814.6 million from 2022.
For Nevada’s fiscal year so far, which runs from July 1 through Sept. 30, 2023, gaming win has seen a boost of 2.9% to $333.4 billion in comparison to $329.7 billion from the same time period in the last fiscal year.
These strong numbers could continue in the coming months as analysts have predicted a busy season as several major events are on the horizon for Las Vegas.
California Casino Linked to TB Cases
In other casino news, California health officials recently linked a Bay Area-area casino to several cases of tuberculosis. The Grand Casino is located in the city of Pacheco, about 25 miles northeast of Oakland, and has been connected to 11 cases of the disease from 2018-23, according to Contra Costa County health officials.
So far, experts have linked 10 of the cases via genetic testing. Officials have contacted 300 people who may have been exposed during the time those with confirmed cases were at the property. County health experts discussed the issue at a recent news conference and their efforts at combating the spread and to prevent future cases.
“When those individuals cough up the bacteria, we’re able to isolate the bacteria in the lab and these are bacteria that have DNA in them,” Contra Costa County deputy health officer Dr. Meera Sreenivasan said, “and through a process called whole-genome sequencing, we can then match different individuals’ DNA with another person’s TB DNA.”
TB Outside Casino’s Control, Unrelated to Property Operations
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that most often affects the lungs and is caused by a type of bacteria. It spreads through the air when infected people cough, sneeze, or spit.
Tuberculosis is preventable and curable, however, and fairly common around the world. About a quarter of the global population is estimated to have been infected with TB bacteria, according to the WHO. In the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control reports that the disease has been mostly eradicated and the country has one of the lowest TB incidence rates in the world. However, cases have increased in recent years with 7,874 reported in 2021 and 8,300 in 2022.
Regarding the Pacheco casino connection, anyone who has visited the property over the last five years is urged to contact Contra Costa county health officials. Those who may not have symptoms should still discuss the issue with their doctor, Sreenivasan said. TB bacteria can remain dormant for months or even years before a person becomes sick and contagious.
The risk of further outbreak in the area “remains low,” according to Sreenivasan. She added that the casino hadn’t done anything wrong and that the cases had nothing to do with the day-to-day operations of the property.
“It is really just a factor of how this bacteria is spread,” she said. “It’s spread through close contact of individuals.”
California Grand Casino offers poker and other card games. The property also has the distinction as being the oldest continuously operating poker room in the world, with poker games available on site since 1854. The original hotel and card room was a stop for the Pony Express in 1860 as well. Casino spokesperson Becky Warren said the property takes health and safety seriously and is pleased to see that none of those infected involve staff and aren’t spreading the disease.
“Our foremost commitment is to ensure the safety of our customers and employees,” she told SFGate.com. “According to Contra Costa Health, none of the linked cases are currently contagious, nor do they involve our staff. Additionally, Contra Costa Health has not identified any ongoing sources of transmission at the card room. We are actively collaborating with the county on notifications and testing to uphold public health and safety.”
