The American Gaming Association has revealed that gross gaming revenues topped $32.5bn in 2008, down 4.7 per cent on 2007's record total.
"The US is grappling with the most severe economic downturn in more than a half-century and - like nearly every industry - the commercial casino industry has been hit hard," said Frank J Fahrenkopf Jnr, president and chief executive officer of the AGA. "However, it continues to be an important provider of jobs and direct gaming taxes, helping states, communities and families weather the economic storm."
The latest edition of State of the States: The AGA Survey of Casino Entertainment showed that commercial casinos returned more than $5.6bn in tax revenues to gaming communities across the country last year. Additionally, the industry remained a major US employer, providing valuable jobs to more than 357,000 people who earned $14bn in wages, salaries and benefits.
