The Impact of Video Gaming Terminals on Casinos and State and Local Tax Revenue

In 2012, Illinois passed legislation allowing video gaming terminals (VGTs) outside of casinos. This legislation was passed to increase tax revenues from gambling in a market that had seen decreases in revenues and admissions over the past 8 years. VGTs may substitute for casino gambling and have a negative impact on casino and tax revenue. Using ordinary least squares and vector autoregressive models, we find that casino slot revenues decrease by about 0.05 percent for each 1 percent increase in VGT revenues. Admissions decrease by about eleven people per VGT. A Granger causality test suggests causation is running from VGTs to admissions. Thus, there is substitution between VGTs and casino gambling but not so large as to reduce tax revenue. Overall tax revenue from gambling, both casino and VGT, has increased for Illinois. However, local communities where casinos are located have experienced declines in casino tax revenue that have exceeded the gains from VGT revenue.