The state of Nevada is known for being the top destination for the casino gaming industry. With cities like Las Vegas and Reno, it is no surprise that Nevada has the highest number of jobs supported by the casino industry. According to a 2023 report by the Nevada Resort Association, the casino gaming industry supports a total of 386,200 jobs, which makes up 27% of the state’s workforce. This means that there are nearly 13,000 jobs in the industry for every 100,000 residents in Nevada. This is significantly higher than any other state, with Nevada having over six times as many people working in the industry compared to the second-highest state, Oklahoma, and 5,000 more than the rest of the top 10 states combined per capita.
Following Nevada, the states with the next highest number of jobs supported by the casino gaming industry are Oklahoma and Mississippi. Oklahoma has a thriving tribal gaming industry, with the state collecting more than $191.5 million in tribal gaming exclusivity fees in 2022, an 18% increase from the year before. Meanwhile, Mississippi saw a record-breaking $3 billion in revenue from the gaming industry in 2022, with about $2.5 billion coming directly from the industry and an additional $800 million from hotels and food.
Other states such as Alaska, Arizona, and Arkansas also benefit from the casino gaming industry, but to a lesser extent in terms of the number of jobs and revenue generated. These states have fewer casinos and lower economic impacts compared to Nevada. In contrast, states like Illinois, Indiana, and Louisiana have a significant number of casinos and a high economic impact. Louisiana, for example, has 24 casinos, supporting 40,919 jobs and generating $6.1 billion in economic impact.
Overall, the casino gaming industry continues to be a major contributor to job growth and economic revenue in various states across the country. It is evident that Nevada leads the way in this industry, but other states are also making significant contributions to the economy through gaming.