American States Depend on Gambling Taxation

Even before the legalization of online casinos under American gambling laws becomes a reality, the gambling business is a near necessity in many states. Land-based casinos and gambling related services employ hundreds of thousands of people, while many states get their coffers filled with gambling taxation revenues.

Places like Nevada would collapse without gambling, while many neighborhoods, such as Atlantic City and Indian reservations, would suffer immensely. Yet, some American authorities act as if they wanted to demolish online gambling as the example of American poker rooms shows. These were shut down a year ago.

Most of the states also rely on lotteries to add to the government revenues. Some even combine their local lotteries into progressive jackpot-style lotteries such as Mega Millions.

In fact, in the most recent big Mega Millions drawing, where the jackpot amounted to $640 million, around $1.5 million was raised in lottery ticket sales. That’s a profit of $900 million plus a cut from winners’ taxation. We’re talking a billion dollars here.

Many worry that legalization of online gambling, which will bring gambling even via mobile casinos in United States, may lead to massive explosion of gambling. However, the cases of the United Kingdom and Australia prove that this isn’t necessarily the case.

Currently, the American players wager their states at many available outlets such as race tracks, land-based casinos, lotteries, or offshore sites. Legalization of gambling may result in more options, but not necessarily in more gambling.