Mount Airy Reducing Slot Machines Again

Mount Airy to cut another 200 slot machines
By Andrew M. Seder

PARADISE TWP. – Since it opened for business in Oct. 22, 2007, Mount Airy Casino Resort has received state approval to reduce its slot machine complement by nearly 18 percent.

With state gaming board approval Tuesday to cut another 200 machines from its gaming floor, the Monroe County casino will soon rank near the bottom of the state’s 10 operating casinos in terms of number of units.

In its application to the board, Mount Airy attorneys argued that the reduction in slot machines will not reduce tax revenue but will save the casino money in maintenance costs. “When market demand warrants additional slot machines,” the application states, “Mount Airy will … add additional machines to meet the demand.”

The board voted 7-0 to permit the latest reduction. In December, the casino requested the removal of 300 machines and the board approved half that amount. In previous requests, the casino asked for lesser numbers of machines to be taken off its gaming floor. Each request was approved.

Richard McGarvey, a gaming board spokesman, said the casino was arguing that the utilization of those machines wasn’t high enough to justify they remain.

The reduction will take place within 90 days, bringing Mount Airy’s slot machine total down to 2,070. At that number, Mount Airy will have just five machines more than Presque Isle Downs in Erie and 468 more than SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia. Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs has 2,330.

An email to a Mount Airy spokeswoman seeking comment was not immediately returned on Tuesday. Neither was a phone message left with attorney John Donnelly, who handled the case for the casino.

In addition to the reduction in slot machines, the board approved requests by Mount Airy to relocate its poker room to the casino’s third floor and to relocate its high-limit slot machines to the area now occupied by the poker room. There are currently 22 high-limit slot machines in the room but the casino said it could expand that total by 42 in the new location that is four times the size of the current high-limit slots room.

Mount Airy has consistently ranked last in the state for gross slot machine terminal revenue. Each month this fiscal year it has ranked 10th out of 10, and in the past fiscal year it ranked dead last of the nine casinos open the entire year with $145.994 million.


When legislators can't do enough to protect the Gambling Industry: Mount Airy, Pennsylvania, Governor Rendell.