The American Gaming Association is going on the road with the story of the broader economic benefits of casino gaming, making its first whistle stop last week at a Maryland food services company.
Representatives of the Washington, D.C.-based trade group chose a food distribution warehouse in Laurel, Md., just outside the nation’s capital, to showcase the positive impacts that gaming has on small businesses in the communities that embrace it.
The business, Eastern Food Services, founded by Korean immigrants, has become a key player in the local supply chain supporting MGM Resorts International’s new National Harbor resort casino, supplying branded water bottles for MGM’s M Life customer loyalty program?a contract that’s expected to generate $1 million a year in new sales for Eastern Foods.
“Casino gaming is and always has been a strong community partner in Maryland and across the country where hundreds of thousands of small business jobs are supported,” said Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of the AGA. “The industry exemplifies the American entrepreneurial spirit with a special emphasis on creating good local jobs for American workers both inside and outside our casinos in nearly every state.”
Local Congressman Anthony Brown, who was on hand for the visit, praised the industry as “a critical source of opportunity and growth for small businesses like Eastern Food Services.”
“I applaud the gaming industry’s willingness to give back to the community, and look forward to furthering our relationship that will generate jobs and sustainable growth for years to come,” he said.
The AGA plans on doing 15-20 similar events around the country in different gaming jurisdictions in the year ahead as part of its American Gaming Small Business Jobs Tour.
The Maryland stop follows on the heels of a new report the association commissioned from Spectrum Gaming Group that shows that gaming supports 1.7 million jobs nationwide, including 350,000 small-business jobs, and is responsible for $52 billion in revenue across several employment categories.
The report, titled “The Gaming Industry’s Impact on Small Business Development in the United States” and based on findings from nearly a dozen markets, shows that casinos pay an estimated $3 billion for direct purchases from small businesses, directly or indirectly produce $13 billion in income through wages, tips, benefits and salaries and annually drive $7 billion in federal, state and local taxes in addition to the $9 billion in taxes generated by commercial casinos.
In Maryland, gaming employs roughly 15,000 people, supports $446 million in wages and generates $1.7 billion in economic impact.
MGM emphasized that forging partnerships with local businesses like Eastern Foods remains one of its core values, particularly within Prince George’s County where National Harbor is located.
“This isn’t about the winners on the casino floor, this is about the winners in the community and if we can’t build out the capacity of more small businesses like Eastern Food Services, then we aren’t doing our job,” said National Harbor Director of Communications Malik Husser.
