There is no doubt that the commercial casino industry has become a part of the mainstream entertainment economy in this country, evolving over the last 25 years from operating only in Nevada and Atlantic City, New Jersey to operating 566 casinos in 22 states in 2010. Coinciding with this growth, large portions of the industry have undergone an evolutionary shift that has led to an increased emphasis being placed on a wide range of entertainment and recreational options beyond the casino floor.
To take a true measure of the direct, indirect and induced impacts of every aspect of the commercial casino industry, the AGA contracted with The Brattle Group, an economic analysis firm based in Washington, D.C., to conduct the largest and most comprehensive study of the total impact of the commercial casino industry in nearly 15 years.
The study looks not only at gross gaming revenue, but revenue from food and beverage, hotel and other lines of business within the modern casino resort. Additionally, the report measures the impact of our purchases of goods and services from suppliers, as well as the impact of employee spending. This impact is felt in casino communities and far beyond. According to the report, the commercial casino supported approximately $125 billion in spending and nearly 820,000 jobs in the U.S. economy in 2010 – roughly equivalent to 1 percent of the $14.5 trillion U.S. gross domestic product.
Follow the links below to get a full picture of the modern commercial casino industry, from the voices of its employees to the economic impact it has on communities across the country.
- Beyond the Casino Floor: Economic Impacts of the Commercial Casino Industry [1] – Read the full report, detailing the full picture of gaming revenues – both on the casino floor and off – and calculating the industry’s direct, indirect and induced impacts on communities nationwide.
- Interactive Map of Commercial Casino Industry Impacts [3] – Use our interactive map to explore state- and county-level economic impacts throughout the country.
- Faces of the Industry [4] – Get the story of the industry from the people who make it happen, as employees give personal accounts of how the gaming industry has impacted their lives.
- Multi-media News Release [5] – View the multi-media news release that introduced “Beyond the Casino Floor” to media outlets nationwide.
- Additional Resources
- Fact Sheet [6] – One page of topline facts and findings from Beyond the Casino Floor: Economic Impacts of the Commercial Casino Industry
- Key Market Data [7] – Economic impact data for the top U.S. casino markets
- How Does a Gaming Company Spend Each Dollar Earned? [8] – Find out what portions of each dollar go to suppliers, taxes, salaries and profits.