Exceeding expectations
American land casinos beat recent economic trends to produce a 3% increase in year-on-year revenue in 2011, defying expectations and reinforcing just how steadfast the gambling industry can be under difficult conditions.
The figures were produced in the American Gaming Association’s annual report, compiled using data from the 492 land casinos in the United States, though venues on Native American soil that are granted non-US jurisdiction were not included. $35.6 billion was taken in gambling receipts in 2011, resulting in $8 worth of taxes being paid to state and local governments.
Whilst a small number of jobs were actually lost in 2011, the number was not considered to be statistically significant with the 339,000 workers still employed in the industry representing a total that has dropped by less than half of one percent.
Surprisingly, the report also noted that one quarter of the visitors to US casinos don’t even gamble at all. This proves just how alluring a genuine casino environment can actually be, and bodes well for land operators in towns like Vegas, Reno and Atlantic City.
Many of these venues are already starting to show concern at loss of revenue if gaming moves to a predominately online environment and some reports indicate that their food and entertainment offerings are better value than ever as a result. The AGA’s figures, therefore, may be good news all round - not just for casino bosses.
