The gaming industry, consisting largely of land based casinos, is often looked down upon by moralistic groups. The activity is considered as detrimental to the well-being of society. Nothing could be further from the truth. The American Gaming Association (AGA) is one of the biggest proponents of gaming in America. It has released a new study examining the striking impact the gaming industry has on the U.S. economy. This is the first comprehensive report on the gaming industry’s national economic impact since 2014. The research was conducted by Oxford Economics.

The broad conclusion of the study is that gaming companies across the country are enabling long-lasting careers for their employees and making a huge impact on their communities through direct and indirect revenue generation. Since the 2014 study, casino gaming has expanded into new markets, offers innovative new entertainment options and enhanced its contribution to local, state and federal economies.

The main specifics in the Oxford Economics report are as follows. The gaming industry contributes $261 billion to the U.S. economy, which is 9.5% increase since 2014. It supports nearly 1.8 million jobs, up from 1.7 million jobs in 2014. It generates $40.8 billion in tax revenues to federal, state and local governments.

Sara Slane, senior vice president of public affairs for the American Gaming Association, pointed out some other findings of the report. She said that American gaming companies across the country are making a huge impact on their communities through innovative partnerships with local non-profit organisations, volunteerism and the generation of revenue that supports critical services. The industry’s tax revenue provides enough funding to hire 692,000 new teachers. Slane said that the AGA was proud of the industry’s economic impact and was pleased to share this new research with the American casino players.

The actual report explains the activities included in the American gaming industry. At the forefront are casino revenues. These include commercial casinos, Native American casinos and card rooms from states like California, Florida, Minnesota and Washington. The casino revenues include that from legalized online gambling conducted by licensed and regulated operators from the states of Delaware, New Jersey and Nevada. Casino revenues are net of promotional allowances. The next is the gaming manufacturers’ revenues inside the United States. The ancillary spending includes purchases by casino patrons on non-gambling activities inside the casino and off-site spending during casino trips on transportation, lodging, restaurants and retail. Specifically excluded are horse racing, slots and video lottery terminals in bars and other non-casino locations like cruise ships and lotteries and charitable gaming.