Racing: A Reliable Partner For Education In New York State

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Published: September 9, 2012 10:00 am EDT

The New York Gaming Association (NYGA) has launched a new statewide TV campaign to remind taxpayers that New York’s racetrack casinos are reliable partners for education as schools open for the new school year.

The nine racetracks that make up the Association have contributed $3.4 billion to education since 2004 – including more than $550 million so far in 2012, according to the New York Division of the Lottery’s website – enough to fund the annual salaries of approximately 12,255 teachers.

“The New York Gaming Association is a reliable partner for New York’s education system and we are incredibly proud of our record of successfully providing for the state’s school children,” James Featherstonhaugh, President of the New York Gaming Association said. “Our racetrack casinos have been part of the communities they serve for generations, providing not only entertainment, but positively contributing to communities by helping to control property taxes and funding education. We are committed to helping New Yorkers, and the proof is in our record of success.”

The new ad campaign will be launched in eight TV markets, including New York City, Albany, Buffalo and Rochester, and will run for at least two weeks as students return to schools across New York.

Last month, NYGA announced that its members, which operate at a tax rate of 68 percent, have generated $620 million in revenue for New York, according to statistics covering the first six months of 2012. That is nearly double the amount of revenue the Las Vegas Strip and Atlantic City casinos generated for their home states combined despite having full-fledged casinos.

In fiscal year 2011-2012, revenue generated by NYGA members for education was equivalent to the annual salaries of approximately 9,610 teachers. In addition to funding for education, NYGA contributes to the state and the communities in which their racetrack casinos are located. In the same fiscal year (2011-2012), NYGA members generated approximately $26 million in aid to struggling local governments. Since 2004, NYGA members have generated over $170 million in aid to support local governments.

(NYGA)

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