2007
09May07 - Las Vegas Review-Journal:
For the 11th straight time since it began surveying the public's attitude toward legalized gambling, the American Gaming Association said Tuesday the U.S. commercial casino industry took in record revenues.
The gaming industry's Washington, D.C.-based lobbying arm said 460 commercial casinos in 11 states collected more than $32.4 billion from gamblers in 2006, almost 7 percent more than was reported in 2005. The total doesn't include gambling revenues collected by American Indian casinos or slot machines at horse and dog racetracks around the country, commonly referred to as racinos.
Nevada continued to be the nation's No. 1 gaming revenue producer with $12.6 billion, more than double second place New Jersey.
In addition, Washington, D.C.-based pollster Peter Hart, who conducted the survey for the association, said four out of five Americans believe gambling is an acceptable activity for themselves or others.
16Jan07 - Gannett News Service:
Today, 42 states operate lotteries, 37 have commercial, Indian or racetrack casinos and only 2 - Utah and Hawaii - don't allow any form of gambling. The gambling industry is a multi-billion dollar business, raking in $84.8 billion in 2005 alone.
12JAN07 - Key findings in Casino City's North American Gaming Almanac:
* U.S. gaming revenue grew 6.56 percent in 2005 to reach an all-time high of $84.8 billion, or 0.69 percent of total U.S. GDP.
* Casino and card room gaming accounted for 38 percent of total gaming revenue, lotteries for 27 percent, and tribal gaming, 27 percent.
* The largest growth, an increase of over 19 percent, was seen in tribal gaming.
* Revenue from lotteries grew by 4.24 percent and casino gaming grew by 2.63 percent.
* Charitable gaming held its own in 2005 after a slight decline the previous year, and race and sports wagering saw a decline.
* Of the 49 U.S. states (including the District of Columbia) with some form of legalized gaming, Maine, while being among the lowest ranked in terms of gaming revenue in 2005, experienced the highest growth with a 69.99 percent increase in 2005 revenues over 2004.
2006
08May06 – American Gaming Association – Reported at the annual State of the States report - Last year, (2005) the 455 commercial casinos in 11 states generated $30.29 billion in gross gaming revenue, representing an increase of nearly 5 percent over 2004 revenue totals. Individual gaming markets also witnessed landmark success, with Las Vegas revenues surpassing $6 billion and Atlantic City revenues climbing above $5 billion for the first time.
Survey data also indicate the industry continued to be an important source of employment in the areas where it operates, providing more than 354,000 employees with wages totaling more than $12.6 billion, including benefits and tips. The industry also continued to be a major source of tax revenues, contributing $4.92 billion to state and local governments in 2005, an increase of just fewer than 5 percent from 2004 totals.
State of the States also includes a detailed look at the growing economic impact of racetrack casinos, or racinos. In 2005, the 29 operational racetrack casinos in nine states generated $3.12 billion in gross gaming revenue, a more than 9 percent increase over 2004 figures. Racinos employed 17,000 people in 2005 and distributed $1.28 billion in direct gaming taxes to state and local governments.
Survey results also indicate overall acceptability of casino gambling remains high, with nearly 80 percent of respondents saying it is acceptable for themselves or others. According to the poll, Americans also continue to overwhelmingly view gambling as a question of personal choice (83 percent), and nearly three-quarters (72 percent) see casinos as a valuable part of a community's entertainment and tourism options.
17Apr06 – The Buffalo News – Earl Grinols, a gambling expert and economics professor at Baylor University, told Congress in 2003 that for every $1 in benefits, gambling costs society $3.
10Apr06 – U.S. News & World Report - Each year Americans lose $80 billion to gambling in its various forms -- from casinos to bingo to online gambling to horse racing. Forty-eight states have some form of legalized gambling – Utah and Hawaii are the only exceptions. There are more than 1,200 casinos, card rooms and bingo parlors in the U.S. And casino gambling is extremely popular. About 73 million Americans visited a casino in 2005 -- up from the more than 53 million that did so in 2000. The rate at which patrons visit casinos is growing, too. The average gambler visits a casino six times a year, which is almost double the number of trips 10 years ago. But state lotteries are also extremely popular -- 42 states run them, according to the Education Commission of the States (ECS). Total lottery profits in the U.S. in 2004 amounted to almost $14 billion.
05Apr06 - (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c35287) - The US gambling (gaming) industry consists of about 500 commercial casinos and 160 Indian casinos, with combined annual revenue close to $75 billion. Companies with large casino operations include MGM Mirage, Harrah Entertainment, and Mandalay Resort Group. About $30 billion of annual revenue is taken in by commercial casinos, $20 billion by state lotteries, almost $20 billion by Indian casinos, and the rest by horse racing, bingo, charities, and bookmaking. (For gambling companies, "revenue" is the total amount bet minus winnings paid to gamblers.) Most casinos are small, limited by the size of the surrounding population. The industry has become highly concentrated: the top 20 companies hold more than 60 percent of the market.
02Apr06 - Around the world, gambling is a fast-growing enterprise. Global Betting and Gaming Consultants calculates that gamblers worldwide lost a total of $208 billion in 2003—an average of almost $570 million a day! While the personal financial losses are astounding, there are a host of other problems that spring up from the gambling craze.
2005
15Dec05 – Walton Chambers, Vice President of Government Affairs for the American Gaming Association – The nations 445 commercial casinos posted a combined $29 billion in gross revenue in 2004, an increase of about 7 percent over 2003. The industry now employs 350,000 workers and pays wages totaling more than $12 billion. In addition, American casinos paid nearly $5 billion in gaming taxes last year (2004). Per William Schmitt, a gaming analyst with CIBC World Markets in New York, gaming industry members have other reasons to expect a bright future. The sector’s core customer base, affluent customers between the ages of 45 and 65, is growing faster than any other population segment in the country.
24Jul05 -Time, Inc. Article - Two hundred forty-seven Native American casinos dot tribal lands in 22 states; 84 riverboat or dockside casinos ply the waters or sit at berth in six states. And with local governments struggling to close budget gaps, slots and lotteries are booming. All told, 48 states have some form of legalized gambling--and none of that includes the wild frontier of the Internet. By 1996 the annual take for the U.S. gambling industry was over $47 billion, more than that from movies, music, cruise ships, spectator sports and live entertainment combined. In 2003 the figure jumped to over $72 billion.
Forty states and the District of Columbia have a lottery. Eleven states operate commercial casinos, which are up from just two in 1989. Riverboat and tribal casinos continue to proliferate.
From two states that allowed gambling in the late 1980's — Nevada and New Jersey — there are now 30 that allow or plan to allow gambling to help pay local costs.
