Mississippi casino’s got off to a slow start this year as those located along the Mississippi River and Gulf Coast saw a sharp decline in revenue for January.  For the month, figures released by the Mississippi State Revenue Department reveal that $151 million was lost by gamblers in the state, a nearly 9% drop from the same month the previous year. In 2017, the casinos earned $166 million.

For Mississippi coastal casinos, the earnings came in at $92 million, which is a 7% decrease. Along the Mississippi River, there are 16 casinos in operation. These venues brought in $59 million, which is significantly less than the $67 million earned in January 2017.

The January 2018 totals come just after the Mississippi Department of Revenue released figures last month showing that in 2017, the state had seen a decrease in gaming revenues of 2% for the year. The state lost over $40 million when compared to 2016, with only $2.08 billion in total earnings.

The river casinos continue to see a sharp decline in revenues, having continually dropped year after year since 2006. In 2017, revenues had declined by 5%, with January already off to a rough start, it appears as though 2018 could possibly see revenues continuing to decrease.

Choctaw Indian casinos of Mississippi are not included in the state figures as they are not required to report winnings to officials.