Casinos have become tourist attractions in many gaming jurisdictions, including St. Louis; Kansas City, Mo.; and Detroit.  Gaming tax revenue also has helped reduce state debt.

“Some of the [gaming tax] money goes for police and fire protection, some goes for capital improvements such as bridge and street repair, and still more goes to a development agency that works to entice companies to move to St. Louis.”

“Even though the three [Detroit] casinos compete for business with the Windsor [Ont.] casino, the four also work cooperatively on package tours because they’re not that far away from each other…We market it as a ‘two-nation-vacation experience.’”

“The President provides St. Louis with $7 million a year, part from a tax on gambling revenue and part from a separate admission charge.  While that revenue amounts to less than 2 percent of the $415 million municipal budget, Deputy Budget Director Paul Payne is glad to have it.”

“East St. Louis gets half its municipal operating revenue—$9.5 million of the $19 million total—from gaming taxes, which has allowed the city to hire more police and firefighters, repair streets and sidewalks, and do other much-needed municipal work.”

“[Bob Frazier, Joliet’s director of management and budget] provided a two-page, single spaced list of improvements since 1992 paid by gaming revenue, including street repairs, police station and city hall construction, street lights, sewer work, library renovations, programs for senior citizens, youths and others.”