One bright spot in Nevada in 2014 was sports wagering.
Revenue of $227 million was an increase of 11.8 percent over 2013 and an all-time single year record. Gamblers wagered $3.9 billion on sports during the year, an increase of 7.7 percent. The amount bet on sports by Nevada casino customers has increased annually in each of the five previous years.
Analysts credit technology, such as mobile sports wagering applications for smart phones and tablet computers, and in-game wagering, which allows customers to bet on games that are in progress.
In December, gamblers placed $427.3 million in wagers on sports, which was a record for that particular month. In November, gamblers wagered a single-month record $535 million on sports.
"Sports betting is one of our better growth stories," said Control Board Senior Research Analyst Michael Lawton.
In January, the state collected $43.7 million in gaming taxes based on December's gaming revenue totals, an increase of almost 23 percent over a year ago. For the first seven months of the fiscal year, gaming tax collections are up 1.9 percent.