Investigates

Local casinos offer great odds for people looking to win big

PITTSBURGH — Gaming revenues from Pennsylvania's 12 casinos reached an all-time high in the last fiscal year with the majority coming from slot machines.

Slots accounted for more than $1.27 billion paid out to state and local coffers.

With the casinos and state making so much money, 11 Investigates poured through state Gaming Control Board data to find out which casinos in the state give you the best chance of winning.

The Sands Bethlehem casino tops the list from the fiscal year going from July 2015 to the end of June 2016, with a slot payout percentage of 93.25 percent.

Locally, the Meadows Racetrack and Casino in Washington Country gives the best odds in Western PA, ranking third statewide at 92.47 percent. The Rivers Casino (91.47 percent) in Pittsburgh is ninth in the state.

Here is the list:

  • Sands Bethlehem - 93.25%
  • Parx Casino - 92.50%
  • The Meadows Racetrack and Casino - 92.47%
  • Valley Forge Casino - 92.44%
  • Harrah's Philly - 92.30%
  • Mount Airy Casino - 92.12%
  • Mohegan Sun Pocono - 91.90%
  • Presque Isle Casino - 91.50%
  • The Rivers Casino - 91.47%
  • Nemacolin Casino - 91.24%
  • Sugar House - 90.90%
  • Penn National - 90.81%

You don't need to drive outside the state for the better odds. The slots machine payouts for area casino's also stack up favorably against casinos in the region for the same time period of July 2015-June 2016.

11 Investigates looked through the data for casinos in New York, New Jersey and Ohio. The best slot payout percentages on the east coast are found at Resorts World (95.83 percent) in New York City.

Ohio
  • Horseshoe Cleveland - 92.25%
  • Hollywood Columbus - 91.80%
  • Horseshoe Cincinnati - 91.61%
  • Hollywood Toledo - 90.80%
New Jersey
  • Harrah's - 91.72%
  • Borgata - 91.64%
  • Trump Taj Mahal - 90.95%
  • Caesars - 90.89%
  • Bally's - 90.86%
  • Golden Nugget - 90.73%
  • Resorts - 90.69%
  • Tropicana - 90.57%
New York
  • Resorts World - 95.83%
  • Empire City - 93.78%
  • Monticello - 93.02%
  • Tioga - 92.96%
  • Finger Lakes - 92.76%
  • Saratoga Casino - 92.68%
  • Vernon Downs - 92.46%
  • Batavia - 92.4%
  • Hamburg - 92.40%

In Pennsylvania, 55 percent of all slot revenue goes to the state. Slots have generated 11.2 billion dollars in tax revenue for the state since gambling was legalized in 2004.

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