"Casino gaming is a strong community partner in New York and across US”

The event, held at the Rivers Casino & Resort Schenectady, is part of AGA’s "Get to Know Gaming” tour, which aims to educate communities about gaming’s role as a community partner in 40 states across the country.

"Casino gaming is a strong community partner in New York and across the country where hundreds of thousands of small business jobs are supported,” said Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of AGA. "We are particularly proud of our support for minority and women-owned businesses and the unique opportunities that our industry makes possible."

"Rivers Casino has fast become an important part of our community,” said Schenectady Mayor, Gary McCarthy. "Not only does the casino provide jobs, but the entire facility enhances the hard work we’ve put in to making downtown Schenectady a fun place to be and a great place to do business. The City of Schenectady looks forward to a long and successful partnership with Rivers Casino."

Earlier this year, AGA released a report, The Gaming Industry’s Impact on Small Business Development in the United States, that examined nearly a dozen U.S. gaming markets and assessed casino gaming’s direct and indirect impact on local, small businesses.

Researchers from Spectrum Gaming Group concluded that gaming’s widespread impact is felt in markets across the country, but has larger impacts in small to mid-sized communities where local businesses work to integrate into gaming operations.

Nationwide, the report concluded that the casino gaming industry generates US$52 billion in annual revenues for American small businesses and supports US$13 billion in small business employee wages.