STATESIDE
NO TAX ON TIPS
In Nevada, Trump proposed eliminating taxes on service workers’ tips. Hoping to also capture support from Nevada’s thousands of casino workers, Harris announced her own plan. On paper, the concept sounds good. However, economic experts from multiple organisations, including the Tax Foundation and Center for American Progress, reject it.
Why? They argue that arbitrarily applying tax relief helps only a small percentage of employees. Almost 95 percent of low-to-moderate income workers receive nothing.
Restaurant staff rely on tips, but what distinguishes them? Should sit-down food servers or fast-food employees equally earn the break? U.S. casinos offer both dining types. Casino hotel operations also include housekeepers and other employees receiving tips. The complex proposals and potential legislation could punish anyone on straight salary.
CHILD CARE TAX CREDITS Harris touts how her planned “Opportunity Economy” will expand Child Tax Credits (CTC) for children under 18. Current regulations provide up to $2,000 per child to parents with tax liabilities and earnings. Harris would increase credits to $6,000 (newborns), $3,600 (one to five) and $3,000 (six to 17), compensating those not paying taxes or earning income. The American Institute for Economic Research (AIER) pans the plan, warning it will incentivise unemployment with 1990s welfare-type payments. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB) estimates a 10-year cost of a trillion-plus dollars.
Casinos/suppliers hire employees who often work swing shifts and pay high child care costs. Would this program create a workforce shortage as families choose free payments against working and paying child care?
HOUSING CREDITS
For decades, working Americans have relocated. Gaming’s historic 46-year legalisation and nationwide expansion have meant almost unlimited
program. The CRFB estimates a $200 billion price tag.
Covid spurred surges in home values in specific lower-tax markets in the South and Southwest. The downside was less availability of capital and decreased first-time buyers’ purchasing power. Most subsidies would probably be out West. Traveling nationwide, Harris has offered few specifics. What are the criteria for eligibility and distribution? Would it be a tax credit or a payout? Would it fuel unchecked price increases? The Trump campaign questioned whether those here illegally would benefit. No honest politician, pundit or journalist can argue the rampant rise of individuals illegally in the U.S. Although ineligible for traditional mortgages, the Harris plan does not address illegal residence.
These critical issues are the proverbial tip of the iceberg. Dozens more policies need to be explained. If done right, the millions affiliated with gaming could make sound decisions and not have their futures determined by “swing state” voters. I’ll keep you informed.
opportunities. This motivated thousands to relocate and maximise their careers.
However, the Brookings Institute’s current research reveals a significant decline. In the 1960s, 20 percent of Americans moved annually, but that fell to 8.7 percent in 2022.
Demographic trends tell the story. Younger people have delayed marriage and leaving their parents’ homes. An aging U.S. is less likely to move. Fluid regional labour markets and technology mean more remote working and less relocation. And, for households with multiple earners, pulling up stakes and finding two new jobs becomes harder.
Sky-high prices also influence the decision to buy or rent. Harris’s signature housing policy-requiring congressional approval-aims for up to $25,000 in federal assistance towards a down payment. This would apply to four million first-time homebuyers with a two-year on-time rental history. Harris also wants to construct three million homes over four years to accommodate this
Sharon Harris
Sharon has worked in the casino and coin- operated amusement industries since the 1980s. In the early 1990s, Sharon transferred her public relations and journalism skills to the gaming industry. She wrote her first feature for Casino International predecessor EUROSLOT magazine in 1994.
As Associate Editor, North America for Casino International, Sharon has chronicled the explosive growth of U.S. gaming and reported on its most significant changes. She has traveled across America to participate in dozens of industry events and has interviewed
hundreds of gaming operators,
executives and suppliers.
BMM qp strip CI
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