AGA 10th Anniversary Research Series Reports Available On-Line

12 April 2006

By David Waddell

In celebration of its 10th anniversary last year, the American Gaming Association sponsored a series of research white papers on issues focused on the growth and development of casino gaming across the country and the industry's impact on the communities where it is located. Each report is prepared by individuals or organizations with specialized knowledge of the topics involved. Initially, as these reports came out last year, the AGA made them available to its members only. However, recently, the AGA made these available to the general public on its website at: www.americangaming.org under the "What's New" section. There are three articles that have been released, including:

An Industrywide Response: Promoting Responsible Gaming and Problem Gambling Research, Education, and Treatment

By: The American Gaming Association

This paper examines the impact of the industry's efforts to promote responsible gaming including information on research, education, and treatment programs. The article compiles the thoughts of several key players from the gaming industry, from the scientific communities, and from the research and treatment communities, discussing the various programs that have been developed and supported by the AGA. Many of these programs have been designed to enhance public awareness of responsible gaming issues and to allow for a greater understanding of the underlying causes of these problems.

Community Leaders' Perceptions of Gaming Industry Effects

By: Peter D. Hart, CEO of Peter D. Hart Research Associates

This research study provides the results of a survey of 201 local community leaders in communities that have commercial casino gaming. The results demonstrate that the these locals leaders have an overwhelmingly positive view of the impact of casino gaming on their host communities. The article also examines the perceptions of these leaders with regard to the economic impact of casinos and highlights how these views differ from those put forth by the industry's opponents.

The Impacts of Gaming Taxation in the United States

By: Eugene Christiansen, CEO of Christiansen Capital Advisors

This paper discusses the impact of gaming taxes on capital investment, job creation, and other economic contributions in casino host jurisdictions. The article discusses the author's theory that unreasonable tax rates on casinos can have the opposite effect that legislators intend—thwarting capital investment, forcing job cuts, and ultimately leading to long term revenue losses. Hard data and concrete examples provide support for the theory, showing that lower tax rates are the key to creating jobs, capital and, in fact, increased tax revenues.

Each of these papers is very interesting reading for those of us involved in the gaming industry. For more information, and to download the articles, visit the AGA's website at www.americangaming.org.