American Gaming Association Survey Shows Industry Growth
Casino industry is playing leading role in the revitalisation of the US Gulf Coast
Thursday 10th May 2007
The American Gaming Association (AGA) has released a survey of casino entertainment which shows gaming revenues rising by 6.8 percent in 2006.
It was also found that 82% of those surveyed considered casino gambling to be an acceptable activity for themselves and others.
The results of the State of the States survey showed casino gaming to be a mainstay of the entertainment industry. Across eleven states, 460 commercial casinos provided 366,197 people with employment, paying a total of $13.3bn in salaries.
These and other figures demonstrate that casinos support the communities in which they operate, as well as contributing $5.2bn in direct gaming taxes to state and local governments. These funds were channelled into education, economic development, health care and other initiatives, demonstrating corporate social responsibility.
This was highly evident on a Gulf Coast struggling with the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. A poll of college professors, bank presidents, and other high profile business and community leaders found that the casino industry has been a major contributor to overall recovery, and expansion is expected to outstrip the local economy. Further contributions will come from the extra tourism generated by casinos.
The American Gaming Association (AGA) has released a survey of casino entertainment which shows gaming revenues rising by 6.8 percent in 2006.