Search Results
Briefing
Casinos and Regional Economies: Has the Game Changed?
With casinos much more common across the nation than they were a generation ago, how might the development of a new casino impact its surrounding regional economy? We survey the literature on the local impact of casinos from a variety of economic and social perspectives. We find that, despite tax revenues being a major motivator for state legalization of casinos, there is little evidence that they boost state taxes. We also find that the job gains from casino development are limited to those in lower density areas that lack nearby casinos.
Working Paper
The Economic Impact of a Casino Monopoly: Evidence from Atlantic City
New Jersey voters approved legalized gambling for Atlantic City in a 1976 referendum, making it the second state after Nevada in 1931. The state explicitly leveraged the city's regional monopoly, which it held from 1978 through 1992, on casinos east of the Mississippi River as an economic development strategy to revive the blighted seaside resort town. The literature on the economic development effects of casinos suggests that sparsely populated areas without nearby competing gambling venues tend to benefit the most. Using a difference-in-differences approach, I model the economic impact of ...