Issue Position: Reduce tax burden on casinos in order to preserve their long term viability as a source of revenue

Issue Position

If we don't do something, we will kill the goose that laid the golden egg. In order to preserve thousands of Kent County jobs tied directly to the casinos and racetracks, I would prefer to see the tax rate on slot machine revenues reduced from the current rate of 43.5%.

In fiscal year 2014, gambling revenues received by the state from the three existing casinos equaled $170 million, a decline of $55 million annually due to increased competition. At the close of the legislative session, we voted to rebate $9.9 million (less than 6% of the total received) to the casinos to help them keep their creditors at bay. Anyone who terms this transaction as a "bail out" either (A) does not understand that the casinos gave us $170 million (B) does not care about preserving thousands of jobs in Kent County, (C) is trying to score political points, or (D) has an ulterior motive of wanting to build a casino on the Wilmington waterfront.

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