Annual Survey Shows More Americans Visiting Casinos

Two million more Americans visited a casino in 2003 than in 2002, according to the 2004 State of the States: The AGA Survey of Casino Entertainment, released today by the American Gaming Association (AGA). …53.4 million adult Americans went to casinos last year …visitors made a total of 310 million trips to casinos in 2003, averaging 5.8 trips per person. …more than 80 percent of those surveyed believe casino gaming is acceptable for themselves or others -- a figure that has remained consistent throughout the past five years. …more than $27 billion in gross gaming revenue in 2003, an increase of nearly 2 percent compared to 2002. From that revenue, casinos paid state and local governments $4.32 billion in direct gaming taxes. Employment figures rose slightly in 2003, with the industry providing jobs for 352,428 workers who earned more than $11.8 billion in salaries, including benefits and tips. Read more