When all forms of legal gambling are considered, the combined value of the U.S. gaming industry tops $215 billion, according to a study conducted by the news site PlayUSA.
The month-long examination of state and local records included casinos, lotteries, horse racing, online gaming and sports betting.
In an interview with PlayUSA, Alan Feldman, distinguished fellow at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas International Gaming Institute, put the $215 billion number into perspective.
“These numbers sound right, and they do not surprise me,” Feldman said, “in part, because the gambling industry, led by the casino and tribal casinos, have come to realize that this is a lot of fun if you give people a reason to come and a reason to stay and relax and enjoy themselves.”
PlayUSA combined the following metrics to derive its figure:
- $105.26 billion: Total sales of lottery tickets for state and national games in 2021, accumulated from reports to state authorities.
- $53 billion: Total gross gaming revenue for 2021 at the nation’s 466 commercial casinos. This includes online gaming.
- $39 billion: Total gross gaming revenue for 2021 at the country’s 510 tribal gaming operations..
- $5 billion: Total wagering last year at California card rooms.
- $12.2 billion: Total amount wagered in legal pari-mutuel betting in 2021, according to Equibase, North America racing’s official database. That figure accounts for betting on 33,567 races, Equibase said.
