A report by the American Gaming Association shows Iowa ranks eighth in gross revenue among the eleven states that operate casinos in the U.S.
Wes Ehrecke of the Iowa Gaming Association says Iowa does well when you look at its size and population. He says the revenue is all relative to the number of casinos and population base, but Ehrecke says the report gives a good overview of the casinos across the country.
Nevada with its 268 casinos leads the list with nearly 12-billion dollars in gross revenue in 2005. Iowa saw one-point-one billion dollars in gross revenue in 2005- which Ehrecke says was an increase. He says that was around a three to four percent increase over 2004, and he says that’s with dollars drawn in from outside the state.
Ehrecke says Iowa holds its own with other states in this region. Ehrecke says Iowa stacks up very well in the midwest for its customer service and entertainment that goes beyond the gaming.
Ehrecke says as new casinos come on-line in northern Iowa, the revenues will increase. He says a lot of revenue is being generated from Minnesota, and while he doesn’t know exactly how much the revenue will increase, he says it should be at least two percent. The report says overall gambling at commercial casinos in the U.S. in 2005 increased nearly five percent and topped 30-billion dollars for the first time ever.