AGA hails commercial casino as ‘revenue generator’ in US
The American Gaming Association (AGA) has paid tribute to the impact that the US commercial casino gaming industry has on the country’s economy, after the sector saw a 3.4% year-on-year rise in revenue in 2017.
The revelation came in the 2018 ‘State of the States: The AGA Survey of the Commercial Casino Industry’, the organisation’s flagship publication that analyses the commercial casino market across 24 states.
Commercial gaming generated a collective $40.28bn (£31.18bn/€34.71bn) in revenue during 2017, with states taking in a total of $9.23bn in revenue from commercial gaming taxes alone.
In addition, 20 commercial casino states experienced revenue increases in 2017, which the AGA said reflects “strong macroeconomic trends and sustained job growth in most parts of the country”.
The AGA estimates that the overall US casino industry is worth around $261bn and employs approximately 1.8 million people nationwide.
Stacy Papadopoulos, interim chief executive of the AGA, said: “This year’s report demonstrates the commercial gaming industry’s role as a job creator and revenue generator in states across the country, and we’re proud of the industry’s steady growth over the past few years.”
Casino gaming could be set for a further boost with more punters expected to visit gambling facilities to place sports bets, after the Supreme Court ruled to overturn PASPA earlier this year.
Since the decision, a number of states have moved to regulate sports betting, with consumers able to visit casinos and racetracks to place legal wagers.
In response to the ruling, the AGA recently moved to update its code of conduct to also cover sports betting as part of an ongoing effort to “build a more cohesive dialogue on responsible gaming”.
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