Washington, DC –As Hillary Clinton plans a roundtable discussion with young Nevadans in Las Vegas on Tuesday, the state’s casino gaming industry is helping to strengthen families and communities by providing a path to the middle class for workers of all backgrounds and experiences. Further, as presidential candidates visit Nevada and other key states where gaming supports more than half-a-million jobs, the American Gaming Association (AGA) is educating gaming employees about where candidates stand on key issues that affect the industry, including immigration reform.

“Casino gaming is providing opportunities for Nevada workers that otherwise wouldn’t exist, and we’re proud to support families and communities in Las Vegas and across 40 states,” said Sara Rayme, senior vice president of public affairs of the AGA. “The gaming industry is educating candidates about the path to the middle class we provide and empowering gaming employees to make their voice heard in the 2016 presidential election like never before.”

Presidential candidates are visiting battleground states where casino gaming supports more than half-a-million jobs and contributes $75 billion to local communities.  Earlier this year in Las Vegas, the AGA launched a national initiative, “Gaming Votes,” to ensure presidential candidates understand gaming’s vital role in providing middle class jobs and driving economic growth. The next event will take place in Iowa this summer, and the initiative will continue in Ohio, Pennsylvania and other battleground states.

An Oxford Economics report, “Gaming Careers: Gateway to the Middle Class,” released earlier this year illustrates the importance of gaming in providing opportunities that otherwise wouldn’t exist for hundreds of thousands of voters across the country:

• Highly diverse workforce—20 percent of workforce is Hispanic: Few industries employ as diverse a workforce as gaming. Forty-five percent of gaming’s workforce is composed of racial or ethnic minority employees –far more diverse than the U.S. average of 33 percent. Twenty percent of gaming employees are Hispanic, compared to the national average of 15 percent.
• Citizenship assistance programs: Many leading gaming companies provide citizenship assistance programs, in addition to on-the-job experience and training. In support of employees’ career growth and upward mobility, gaming companies also offer flexibility schedules, on-site health and wellness, daycare centers, fitness centers or gym memberships and other benefits. Further, more than 20 percent of gaming employees further their education and earn a degree.
• Fulfilling careers for millennials: For a generation of people that is otherwise struggling to find work – 23.3 percent of workers under 30 are unemployed – gaming offers a path to a fulfilling career. More than a third of the gaming workforce is younger than 30, compared to the national average of 25 percent. The average age of a gaming employee is 39 (national average is 42).

About AGA: The American Gaming Association is the premier national trade group representing the $240 billion U.S. casino industry, which supports 1.7 million jobs in 40 states.  AGA members include commercial and tribal casino operators, suppliers and other entities affiliated with the gaming industry.  It is the mission of the AGA to be the single most effective champion of the industry, relentlessly protecting against harmful and often misinformed public policies, and paving a path for growth, innovation and reinvestment.

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