America, The Casino Nation
Tuesday October 12, 2004
In the USA, 46 states have some form of legalized gambling, according to Casinocity.com. There are 35 states with some form of legalized electronic gaming device, mostly slot machines, at Indian casinos, commercial casinos, racetrack casinos, bars, restaurants or other licensed establishments, according to the American Gaming Association, a lobbying group. The AGA says legalized gambling is a $73 billion industry as measured by gross gambling revenue (the amount wagered minus the winnings returned to gamblers, as of 2003.)
The largest component of the industry remains "commercial casinos," which account for $29 billion. State lotteries take in $20 billion and Indian Casinos add $17 billion to the total, according to the AGA.