Addicted to Gambling: State Governments Now Depend on the Proceeds to Finance their Budgets

Report Read time:
Addicted to Gambling: State Governments Now Depend on the Proceeds to Finance their Budgets

States are more addicted to gambling revenue than ever as the lure of easy new money for schools, tax relief and public services has led to an explosion of state-sanctioned casinos, slot machines at racetracks and lottery games.

Twenty-five years ago, gambling was legal in only three states. Now every state except Utah and Hawaii relies on gambling to generate revenues to help avoid raising taxes.

Pennsylvania will be the 11th state to offer slot machines at racetracks and other venues when it completes the awarding of contracts to operate 61,000 slot machines - more than any state but Nevada - to raise money for property tax relief. North Carolina in March became the 42nd state to launch a lottery and expects to raise $425 million in its first year, mostly for education.

Bets can be placed in nearly 900 casinos - 455 privately run in 11 states, 406 on Indian reservations in 29 states plus 29 racetrack casinos (known as racinos) in 11 states. And at least nine states (Delaware, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Ohio and Texas) are considering opening their doors to casino or racetrack gambling.

Read the full report Addicted to Gambling: State Governments Now Depend on the Proceeds to Finance their Budgets on the Stateline.org Web site.

America’s Overdose Crisis
America’s Overdose Crisis

America’s Overdose Crisis

Sign up for our five-email course explaining the overdose crisis in America, the state of treatment access, and ways to improve care

Sign up
Quick View
America’s Overdose Crisis

America’s Overdose Crisis

Sign up for our five-email course explaining the overdose crisis in America, the state of treatment access, and ways to improve care

Sign up
Article June 13, 2023

37 Scientists Pioneering the Future of Biomedical Research

Quick View
Article June 13, 2023

Biomedical researchers are at the heart of nearly every medical advancement. From cutting-edge cancer treatments to breakthrough discoveries about emerging viruses, these scientists use creativity and ingenuity to explore new horizons in human health and medicine. And for nearly 40 years, The Pew Charitable Trusts has supported more than 1,000 early-career researchers committed to this work.

MORE FROM PEW

A woman and her grandchildren on a sunny afternoon. Courts Can Do More to Help Families Seeking Guardianship
Sunlight streams into the blue waters of a vibrant coral reef. Yellow, black and blue, and orange fish swim near red, green and bright coral. To Save Nature, Global Community Moves to Fund New Plan
Four yellow school buses emit smoke as they travel a road crowded with cars, construction vehicles, and scaffolding. States Race to Win Federal Clean School Bus Grants
A photo illustration of an empty defendant’s chair, indicating that the person did not show for a virtual hearing, and the plaintiff’s lawyer sitting in a chair beside it. The one person faces forward toward an iPad with a gavel. The illustration has a blue background that shows the exterior of a courthouse. Debt Collection Cases Continued to Dominate Civil Dockets
Composite image of modern city network communication concept

Learn the Basics of Broadband from Our Limited Series

Sign up for our four-week email course on Broadband Basics
Quick View

How does broadband internet reach our homes, phones, and tablets? What kind of infrastructure connects us all together? What are the major barriers to broadband access for American communities?