Pennsylvania collected more in taxes from commercial casinos than any other state last year, including the state that houses gambling mecca of Las Vegas.
Tax revenue figures collected by the Morning Call show Pennsylvania took in just short of $1.1 billion from its nine casinos in the 2009 fiscal year. That outpaces the $878 million collected by Indiana and the $831 million by Nevada.
"It is pretty amazing, but not unexpected," Richard McGarvey, spokesman for the state Gaming Control Board, told the Morning Call. "Our tax is so high because the intention of the gaming law was to bring in tax money."
Pennsylvania's 55 percent tax rate on slot-machine proceeds is among the highest in the nation, below New York's 65 percent and West Virginia's 57 percent.
Indiana charges a 31 percent rate on its 13 casinos and Nevada an 8 percent tax rate on its 260.
This isn’t good new to everyone. Many people, like Matt Brouillette, president of the fiscally conservative Commonwealth Foundation, believe that the state government is taking money from middle and low-income residents who gamble, reports the Morning Call.
"All this did was create a windfall that feeds the state's insatiable appetite to spend," Brouillette told the Morning Call.
Pa.'s Gambling Tax Income Beats Out Vegas
Pennsylvania took just short of $1.1 billion from its nine casinos in 2009
Copyright AP - Associated Press
