ECONOMIC IMPACT

Expansion into new jurisdictions fueled the explosive growth of the gaming-entertainment industry in the 1990s, and the new casinos that resulted from that growth have meant significant and consistent economic benefits for dozens of states across the nation.

• For example, in some gaming jurisdictions, for every $1 paid in wages, the taxing jurisdictions earn another 60 cents in state and local taxes.  These revenues become an important part of the budgets for the host cities, counties and regions.  

Casinos provide permanent new jobs (with good wages and full benefits).  Local businesses benefit from the purchases of goods and services from the casino-anchored destination attractions' customers.

The billions of dollars in new tax revenues that casinos pay to cities and states each year are helping to lower taxes and pay for many basic civic needs.  Other indirect effects of gaming include reduction of city debt, improved bond ratings and increased funds to revitalize the cities’ business and financial profiles. 

BILLIONS of $$$ LEAVING TEXAS.

• Millions of Texans are already gambling, but our state is receiving zero benefits.

• Texas is the second largest feeder state to Nevada.

• Over 70% of Louisiana's gamblers are from Texas. (Louisiana features fourteen riverboats, a mega land-based casino in New Orleans, three slot machine "racinos," 141 truck stop casinos and three Native American casino-resorts.)

• Texans also support more than 37 Native American and racetrack casinos in New Mexico and Oklahoma.

• After a 60-year hiatus, Mexico may soon legalize gambling, in a desperate effort to regain a tourism industry lost to the Drug Wars in that country.

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Soon, Texas will be completely surrounded by gaming destinations - all sucking economic development, jobs and government revenues out of Texas!

*[Sources: Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority; Clark County Department of Aviation; Shreveport-Bossier Convention & Tourist Bureau; New Mexico Dept. of Tourism; 1-Arthur Anderson "Economic Impacts of Casino Gaming in the U.S.” – Volume 2: Micro Study; Texas based economists at The Perryman Group]

For a better understanding of casino entertainment, it's economic impact, myths vs. facts, America's perceptions of casino gaming and more, we urge you to check out the following websites/ publications:

www.americangaming.org

Whether you're looking for facts and statistics, experts, studies, publications or just general news, this site is your one-stop resource for information on the casino-entertainment industry.

Please be sure to check out the AGA's State of the States. The AGA Survey of Casino Entertainment. It provides an in-depth look at the economic impact of the casino industry with individual state profiles. Through the use of graphs and statistics, the survey also examines the American public's perception of casino gaming, profiles of the casino customer and the trends in casino visitation.

• Mississippi Coast Miracle

(Mississippi before and after casino legislation.  One leading analyst states, “Mississippi has been one of the best models for gaming expansion.  Its success over the last 15 years has exceeded even the most optimistic expectations.  Any state contemplating legalizing casinos would be foolish not to emulate the Mississippi.”)

www.tunicamiss.org
The story of how Tunica, MS, went from the "Ethiopia of America" to the 3rd largest gaming resort destination in America, due solely to the impact of gaming

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