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PHILADELPHIA &mdash; Pennsylvania&rsquo;s 11 casinos pulled in more than $233.1 million in gross slot machine revenue last month, setting an all-time monthly high since the state&rsquo;s first casino opened in November 2006 and showing further evidence of its growing gambling market. 
The slots totals released Tuesday include revenue from two test nights and one day of operations at the state&rsquo;s 11th casino, Valley Forge Casino Resort, which opened on Saturday. Overall, the figures broke the previous monthly record of $218.3 million set in July, and they represent an 8.5 percent increase over March 2011. 
&ldquo;Virtually every jurisdiction in the country would kill for that kind of growth, especially in a sluggish economy,&rdquo; said Joe Weinert, senior vice president of Spectrum Gaming Group, a New Jersey casino consulting firm, who called the state the &ldquo;envy of the casino industry.&rdquo; 
Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, the first casino to open in Pennsylvania, took in $21.3 million in slot revenue in March, a 5.7 percent increase from a year earlier.
Mount Airy Casino Resort near Mount Pocono showed a larger percentage increase of 10.2 percent, to $13.5 million.
When slots and table game revenues are combined, Pennsylvania has surpassed New Jersey and grown into the second-largest casino market in the country behind Nevada, Weinert said. The two traded places in July, Weinert said, and, by January, Pennsylvania had grown into a $3.66 billion market, compared to a $3.3 billion market for New Jersey. 
The numbers also show evidence of the increasing competition. Harrah&rsquo;s Chester Casino and Racetrack, which is just outside Philadelphia, was up less than a percent over the year before, as it faces competition from SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia, Parx Casino in Bensalem, casinos in neighboring states and now the new casino in Valley Forge. 
Valley Forge, a smaller &ldquo;resort&rdquo; casino expected to attract a more high-end clientele, brought in more than $500,000 in the three days recorded. SugarHouse posted a 25 percent increase over last March, while Parx saw an 8.7 percent spike.

March Marked All-time High For Pa. Slots