Casino revenue, purse contribution strong in 2021

After the second-highest revenue month in the history of casino gambling in Maryland, the amount generated for the Purse Dedication Account from video lottery terminals totaled $76.08 million in 2021, almost $10 million more than 2019 when the casinos were fully operational.

Maryland Lottery and Gaming Corp. in early January reported $172.90 million in overall gaming revenue in December, up 44.9% from December 2020, when the six casinos were operating under capacity restrictions because of COVID-19. The December number topped the $172.4 million in gaming revenue generated in May 2021 and trailed only the July 2021 figure of $180.1 million, according to the statistics.

In December 2021, the PDA earned $6.45 million, up 53.8% from $4.24 million in December 2020 and an increase of 19.7% from $5.46 million in 2019. Of the $6.45 million, 80% ($5.16 million) goes to Thoroughbred purses.