Cincinnati.Com
Americans gamble as much as $600 billion a year on everything from blackjack to bingo to poker to office basketball pools. Between $60 billion and $80 billion of that total ends up with the gambling industry as gross revenue, or the take before taxes and wages are paid. The rest is either passed directly from gambler to gambler, as in office pools or poker games, or paid out as winnings at racetracks and casinos. Here are best estimates of gross annual revenue for some of the most popular ways to gamble:
COMMERCIAL CASINOS: $29 BILLION
More than 400 commercial casinos operate in 11 states. They range from huge land-based casinos in Las Vegas to riverboat casinos in small towns along the Ohio River.
LOTTERIES: $20 BILLION
Forty states have some form of state-sponsored lottery. About $2 billion is spent on lottery tickets every year in Ohio, and $725 million is spent in Kentucky. Ohio's proceeds go to schools while Kentucky's go to education, literacy and the state's general fund. U.S. lottery revenue appears to have peaked, but some states have added video lottery and keno machines to boost income.
INDIAN CASINOS: $17 BILLION
Twenty-five states have Indian casinos, and at least 300 facilities are in operation. Federal law allows them on recognized tribal lands, provided the tribes negotiate deals with their respective states on how to share tax dollars.
INTERNET GAMBLING: $5 BILLION
Nearly 2,000 Internet gambling sites have been set up outside the United States, making games available everywhere. Their legality is unclear. Federal prosecutors consider Internet gambling on sports and casino games illegal in states that do not allow such gambling within their borders.
PARI-MUTUEL WAGERING: $4 BILLION
Horse racing, with more than $3 billion a year in revenue, is the largest piece of the pari-mutuel industry, so named because it combines wagers into a common pool. The industry also includes dog racing and jai alai. Some form of pari-mutuel wagering is legal in 43 states.
BINGO AND CHARITABLE GAMES: $3 BILLION
Churches and other non-profit charities are permitted to host gambling events to raise money for schools, fire departments, local sports teams and other benefits. Some churches rely heavily on Vegas Nights to pay their bills.
SPORTS WAGERING (LEGAL BOOKMAKING): $129 MILLION
Some estimates rank sports wagering as the most popular form of gambling in the country, with $80 billion to $380 billion wagered on everything from office pools to fantasy football to illegal bets with bookies. Legal betting - the only kind that can be accurately calculated - is only permitted in Nevada and, to a lesser extent, Oregon.
Sources: American Gaming Association, National Gambling Impact Study Commission, the U.S. General Accounting Office and the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries
