CARSON CITY ? Fueled by baccarat play, Nevada casinos posted an 11.1 percent increase in gaming revenue in August compared to the same month last year.
The state Gaming Control Board reported today that casinos took in $955.2 million in August, the biggest monthly take in the last six months.
The state collected $51.3 million in taxes, up 3.4 percent.
?It was a very strong month for table games,? said Mike Lawton, senior research analyst for the board. Baccarat revenue of $193.6 million was up 56 percent compared to a year ago.
Slot machine revenue, meanwhile, was off 2.7 percent statewide.
Las Vegas Strip casinos posted revenue of $589 million, the second best month of the year. It was a 19.9 percent increase compared to August 2012.
Other areas were not so lucky. Downtown casino revenue fell by 8.3 percent, North Las Vegas was off 18.2 percent and the Boulder Strip dropped 12.6 percent. Mesquite was down 1.4 percent.
The board reported gaming revenue up 5.6 percent in Laughlin and 4.4 percent in the rest of Clark County.
Gaming revenue was up 8.4 percent in Washoe County and 1.3 percent in the Carson Valley. South Lake Tahoe saw a 2.6 percent decline in revenue.