USA Casino Statistics (2024)

How many gamblers are there in the United States?

The United States is of the most gambling-friendly countries in the world, with a population of over 57 million active gamblers.

Every year, around 40% of American adults visit one of the casinos in Las Vegas, Nevada, Atlantic City, New Jersey, or one of the thousands of land-based U.S Casinos, not to mention playing casino games at online casinos.

In the US, nearly ten percent of U.S. adults bet on online and in-person casino games [1].

Approximately 85% of U.S. adults have gambled at least once in their lives with at least 60% having done so in the past year [2].

The United States was the country with most casinos in the world in 2022 with 2000+ casino, poker or sports-betting venues – serving as a reminder of the economic impact that casinos have on the US economy, with jobs and revenues created for local communities.

Around 1.6 billion people worldwide gamble, with 4.2 billion people worldwide estimated to engage in gambling activity at least once a year.

American Gambling Industry Jobs

The American Gaming Association, an industry trade group, states that online gambling in the U.S. is a $240 billion industry, employing 1.7 million people in 40 states [3].

Projected Online Gambling Market Growth

Market researchers expect the United States online gambling market to exhibit a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.2% during 2023-2028 [4].

In addition to online casino gambling, online sports-betting is a lucrative and growing market in the US and abroad, with the total amount wagered worldwide amounting to 194.63 billion U.S. dollars in 2021.

Revenue from legal and regulated sportsbetting in the US is expected to show an annual growth rate (CAGR 2023-2027) of 17.32%, resulting in a projected market volume of US$14.44bn by 2027 [5].

American Gambling Revenues

In 2022 Commercial gaming revenues — including from non-tribal casinos — topped the $60 billion mark for the first time. Casinos on the Las Vegas strip accounted for $8.2 billion of those revenues [6].

This is a testament to the immense impact that casino gambling has had on Nevada’s economy. It highlights the importance of the casino industry to the state’s financial well-being, and serves as a reminder of the importance of the industry to the state’s overall success.

Out of 33 states in which gambling was operational in 2021, 16 reported quarterly highs in overall gambling revenue, including five of the six largest markets: Indiana, Michigan, Nevada, New York and Pennsylvania.

Land-based slots and table games continue to be the foundation for the industry’s revenue growth, generating a record $12.27 billion in the third quarter 2022, an increase of 1.8% percent from the same period a year ago. [7]

April 2022 saw Nevada enjoy a record-breaking 26th $1b+ month of revenue from legal gambling. In April 2022 Nevada’s casinos reported combined revenues of $1.2 billion generating state taxes of $886.9 million [8].

Rhode island became the 7th state to legalize online gambling after Democratic Governor Daniel McKee signed two identical bills into law (SB 948 and HB 6348) both of which authorize legal online casino gaming and multi-state online poker. Once things go live Rhode Island’s tax rates on slots will be the highest in the US – at 61%.

Most popular forms of gambling in the USA

Slot machines & table games consistently outperform other casinos games for casino revenue generation.

Slots and table games across the U.S. generated $43.79 billion in 2022, a 6.7% increase over the same 11-month period in 2021 [8].

Regulated Industry Fines & Sanctions in the US

Regulated gambling companies in the US don’t always play by the rules – in which case state regulators may step in to take action.

2022 Global Gambling Industry Fines Reached $264M (up 443% On 2021) – including fines issued by gambling regulators to US Based BetMGM, Drafkings and Penn Entertainment for emailing people under the age of 21, accepting wagers before it was permitted to do so and for allegedly Promoting Sports Betting to Students [9].

Smoking in Casinos in the US

As of January 2023, 260 commercial and 148 Tribal casinos in the United states were non-smoking [10]. Campaigners in the US continue to fight for smoke-free casinos. In some cases casinos which had stopped smoking during Covid pandemic restrictions have not resumed permitted smoking on the premises despite being able to do so.

Are gambling winnings taxable in the USA?

Winnings in the United States from gambling are taxable at a rate of around 24% [11].

It is the consumers duty to report the income on their tax return. Gambling income includes but isn’t limited to winnings from lotteries, raffles, horse races, and casinos. It includes cash winnings and the fair market value of prizes, such as cars and trips [12].

Non residents and foreigners visiting american casinos after often surprised they face a face a 30% withholding tax on their winnings.

Which states allow gamblers aged 18 in Casinos & Sportsbooks?

While the age to gamble is generally 21+ in casinos and sportsbooks in the US there are 12 states that have established 18+ over as their legal minimum gambling age for all forms of state-regulated casino gaming.
These states include:

Washington
Rhode Island
Puerto Rico
Oregon
Oklahoma
Montana
Minnesota
Michigan
Idaho
Georgia
Florida
California

What is the largest casino in the USA?

WinStar World Casino and Resort (located in Thackerville, Oklahoma, near the Oklahoma–Texas state line) is the biggest casino in the United States and the world!.

Founded in 2003, WinStar World Casino and Resort is spread over 400,000 square meters of floor space. The total number of table games and gaming machines is colossal, with over 10,000 different slot machines to choose from. Poker players are well catered for too, with over 50 poker tables offering a mix of poker variants. [13]

Which was the first US state to Legalize Gambling & casinos?

In 1931 the state of Nevada became the first US state to legalize gambling [14]. Established in 1905, Las Vegas in Nevada has since become a top global gambling and entertainment hub, famous for casinos, nightclubs, entertainment and sports.

In the decades following Nevada gambling legalization organized crime flourished in Las Vegas. In 2023, state gambling taxes account a large portion of Nevada’s overall tax revenues.

California has more poker tables than Nevada

Unbelievable as it may sound, California actually has more card rooms than Nevada! [15] The Commerce casino in Los Angeles alone has 160 poker tables while the Bicycle Casino (aka “The Bike”) in Bell Gardens has a vast card-room with 130 tables and is home of the popular Live at the Bike high-stakes poker show.

The Mean Wage for Casino Dealers in the US is $16.51 / hour

It is estimated by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics that the mean wage for casino dealers (croupiers, poker dealers etc) in the US is $16.51 an hour / $34,350 a year [16].

States in the US with the highest employment level in Gambling Dealers
State	Employment	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage
Nevada	15,340	10.86	22.53	$ 10.59	$ 22,020
California	13,240	0.75	1.56	$ 17.80	$ 37,020
Washington	4,310	1.27	2.63	$ 22.62	$ 47,050
New Jersey	4,140	1.01	2.09	$ 25.06	$ 52,120
Florida	3,140	0.34	0.71	$ 16.93	$ 35,200

(Data Snapshot May 2022)

In How Many States in the USA Is Legal & Regulated Online-Poker Available?

As of early 2024, only a handful of US states had legalized online poker – Nevada (2013), Delaware (2012), New Jersey (2013), Pennsylvania (2017), West Virginia (2019), and Michigan (2019). In June 2023 Rhode Island senators signed an online gambling bill [17] which will facilitate online casinos in the state as well as online poker. In November 2023 poker operators in West Virginia joined forces with counterparts in other states, allowing for larger poker liquidity [18].

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