Gaming tax revenue recorded represents a 4.1% increase from 2018 and does not account for the billions more in sales, income, and other taxes from gaming.
The us$10.2 billion in taxes benefit the states and communities in which casinos operate by funding education initiatives, health insurance programs, infrastructure and economic development projects, responsible gaming programs, and more.
The increases in gaming revenue and taxes can be attributed in part to the continued expansion of legal sport betting, which 14 states legally offered in 2019. Americans wagered more than US$13bn on sports with legal operators in 2019, resulting in legal US operators earning US$908.9m in sports betting revenue. This is more than double the US$430.7m revenue in 2018.
In 2019, the top 15 commercial casino markets by total gaming revenue maintained their previous rankings. Twenty one of the 25 commercial gaming states reported increases in annual gross gaming revenue (GGR) from the previous year. The largest increase came in Massachusetts, reflecting the June opening of the state’s second casino-resort just outside of Boston. The steepest decline came in Louisiana amid expanded competition in neighbouring states.
Source: GMB / AGA