Gambling in the United States

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Gambling in the United States" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (June 2019) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

This article is part of a series on the
Economy of the United States
Economic history Agricultural history Banking history Petroleum history Shipbuilding Industrial Revolution in the United States History of the United States dollar Lumber history Tariff History United States dollar § History History by state
Sectors Primary sector Agriculture Energy Petroleum Electricity Mining Fishing Forestry Water and sanitation Secondary sector Automotive Iron and steel Pulp and paper Tertiary sector Social programs Transportation Tourism Education Gambling Healthcare Insurance Financial services Central bank Banking Largest banks Stock exchanges Largest companies Companies listed on the NYSE
Economy by state California Texas New York Florida more... State statistics State budgets State credit ratings State unemployment rate Union membership
Economy by city or county Allentown Atlanta Buffalo Chicago Cleveland Columbus Detroit Door County Erie Houston Indianapolis Kansas City Lexington Long Island Louisville Memphis New York City Norfolk Omaha Philadelphia Phoenix Pittsburgh Salt Lake City San Diego Spokane St. Louis Stamford Youngstown Washington, D.C.
Labor Labor Law Child labor Labor unions Minimum wage Right-to-work law Employment Unemployment (Causes)
United States portal
v t e

In the United States, gambling is subject to a variety of legal restrictions. In 2008, gambling activities generated gross revenues (the difference between the total amounts wagered minus the funds or "winnings" returned to the players) of $92.27 billion in the United States.^[1]

The American Gaming Association, an industry trade group, states that gaming in the U.S. is a $240 billion industry, employing 1.7 million people in 40 states.^[2] In 2016, gaming taxes contributed $8.85 billion in state and local tax revenues.^[3]

Critics of gambling argue it leads to increased political corruption, compulsive gambling, and higher crime rates. Others argue that gambling is a type of regressive tax on the individuals in local economies where gambling venues are located.