Gaming Industry FAQ

While casino gaming has been legal in Nevada for more than seven decades and in Atlantic City, N.J., for more than a quarter century, it was not until the late 1980s and early 1990s that other jurisdictions across the country began to introduce commercial casino gaming. Today, commercial casinos are located in 11 states, bringing myriad benefits to states and local communities where they operate.

Despite a large body of research that has documented the benefits of casinos, gambling opponents continue to make baseless claims about the industry. The following are responses to some of the most common misconceptions about gaming based on the findings of a congressionally mandated, federally funded gambling impact study commission, as well as numerous other studies on the social and economic impact of casino gaming.

Questions

			What are the economic impacts of the casino gaming industry?
			Do communities with casinos experience unique or elevated levels of social problems?
			If casinos open in a community, will there be an increase in the number of pathological gamblers?
			How many pathological gamblers are there?
			Does casino gambling prey on the poor and the elderly?
			Are pathological gamblers the main source of revenue for casinos?
			Do bankruptcy rates increase when casinos are introduced into a community?
			Does the introduction of legalized gaming increase the level of street crime in a community?
			Is the casino industry controlled by mobsters and organized crime?
			Do other businesses suffer when casinos are introduced into a community?