The recent fiscal downturn forced cash-strapped, tax-averse state lawmakers to seek unconventional revenue- raising alternatives, for additional revenue-raising opportunities outside of the income, sales and property taxes that form the backbone of most state tax systems. One of the most popular alternatives to those major revenue sources is state-sponsored gambling. As this policy brief points out, however, gambling revenues are rarely as lucrative, or as long-lasting, as supporters claim.
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February 24, 2026
Despite a mountain of evidence, states continue to partner with powerful gambling corporations to promote ever more extreme forms of