Kansas Casinos Provide Employment For 4,000 People
December 10, 2014 2:34 pmCasinos in Kansas supported employment for around 4,000 people and contributed $673 million towards the state economy in 2013, according to an Oxford Economics study commissioned by the American Gaming Association. The study was part of a wider campaign to highlight the benefits casino gambling can have on local economies, with its overall findings revealing a total of $240 billion in casino revenues across the US, and 1.7 million jobs.
Commenting on the latest figures, Chris Moyer, director of media relations for the AGA, said: “It was a big number, even given the relative infancy of the industry in Kansas. When we looked at the report for each state, even we were surprised to see just how large the industry is and how wide-ranging the impact is.”
The report revealed that state casinos provide direct employment for around 2,200 people, and a further 1,800 indirect and induced jobs, without which the unemployment rate in Kansas would increase to 5.3% from its present 4.8%.
The casinos also generated a total of $365 million in gambling revenue, and $26 million in non-gambling revenues, of which $192 million was collected in taxes which went towards state, local, and federal funds.
The Midwestern state of Kansas has three state-owned casinos, which includes the Boot Hill Casino which opened in 2009, the Kansas Star Casino which opened in 2011, and the Hollywood Casino which opened in 2012. Meanwhile, the Kansas Lottery is currently accepting applications for a fourth casino to be built, with one of the front-runners being Wichita businessmen Brandon and Rodney Steven, and Dave Wells. As Key Construction owner Dave Wells, explains:
“It’s Kansas investors spending money in Kansas. We hope to pull as many people as we can from Oklahoma, from Arkansas and from Missouri to spend their money in Kansas.”
If selected their project will cost $147 million to complete, and include a casino, a 200-room hotel, three restaurants, convention space, and a health club and spa.