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Over 10,000 employed in private gambling industries in California and Indiana in 2017

June 26, 2018

Feeling lucky? Whether you're playing slots at a casino, betting on the horses, buying lottery tickets, or just playing bingo at the local parlor, the gambling industry is waiting for you to place your bets. In 2017, private gambling industries employed over 120,000 people across the United States, with California (16,815) and Indiana (11,329) leading the way. Gambling industries in Nevada (9,884), Pennsylvania (9,245) and Louisiana (9,054) also employed over 9,000 people.

Employment in private gambling industries, 2017 annual average
State 2017 employment (p)

California

16,815

Indiana

11,329

Nevada

9,884

Pennsylvania

9,245

Louisiana

9,054

Illinois

8,126

Ohio

7,891

Washington

5,184

Maryland

4,939

Montana

3,349

Missouri

3,192

Delaware

3,137

New York

2,986

West Virginia

2,694

Florida

2,474

Texas

2,386

Colorado

2,277

Iowa

1,932

Kansas

1,745

South Dakota

1,445

Mississippi

1,393

New Mexico

1,279

Oklahoma

1,136

North Dakota

736

South Carolina

641

Nebraska

597

Alaska

569

Minnesota

479

New Hampshire

326

North Carolina

286

Kentucky

283

Alabama

262

Michigan

262

Oregon

225

Georgia

211

New Jersey

192

Wyoming

144

Arizona

129

Idaho

54

Virginia

39

Wisconsin

32

Arkansas

0

Hawaii

0

Utah

0

Connecticut

(ND)

District of Columbia

(ND)

Massachusetts

(ND)

Rhode Island

(ND)

Tennessee

(ND)

Vermont

(ND)
Footnotes:

(p) = preliminary.

(ND) Data do not meet BLS or State agency disclosure standards.

States employing fewer than 100 people in private gambling establishments in 2017 include Idaho, Virginia, and Wisconsin. Arkansas, Hawaii, and Utah had no employment in private gambling industries.

In 2017, West Virginia (545) had the largest number of business establishments in private gambling industries, followed by Montana (398), Nevada (380), Louisiana (236), Illinois (216), and Texas (211).

Number of business establishments in private gambling industries, 2017 annual average
State Number of establishments (p)

West Virginia

545

Montana

398

Nevada

380

Louisiana

236

Illinois

216

Texas

211

South Dakota

157

California

123

North Dakota

92

Florida

91

Alaska

66

North Carolina

63

Washington

57

Ohio

52

Minnesota

50

South Carolina

44

Colorado

40

Pennsylvania

39

Maryland

35

Nebraska

31

New York

28

Indiana

26

Georgia

25

Michigan

23

Mississippi

23

New Mexico

20

Oklahoma

19

Connecticut

18

Iowa

17

Alabama

16

Oregon

16

Kansas

13

Kentucky

13

New Hampshire

13

New Jersey

13

Arizona

12

Virginia

12

Wyoming

12

Delaware

10

Missouri

8

Wisconsin

8

Idaho

7

Maine

7

Massachusetts

6

Rhode Island

4

Tennessee

4

Vermont

2

District of Columbia

1

Arkansas

0

Hawaii

0

Utah

0
Footnotes:

(p) = preliminary.

With the exception of Arkansas, Hawaii, and Utah, all other states and the District of Columbia had at least one business establishment in private gambling industries. Other than the three states with no gambling businesses, Missouri, Wisconsin, Idaho, Maine, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Vermont each had fewer than 10 business establishments.  

These data are from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages. For more data on establishments, employment, and wages, see the QCEW data retrieval tool. Gambling industries include establishments (except casino hotels) primarily engaged in operating gambling facilities, such as casinos, bingo halls, and video gaming terminals, or in the provision of gambling services, such as lotteries and off-track betting.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Over 10,000 employed in private gambling industries in California and Indiana in 2017 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2018/over-10000-employed-in-private-gambling-industries-in-california-and-indiana-in-2017.htm (visited March 28, 2024).

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