The $1.7 billion San Diego County estimate is based on a San Diego Union-Tribune analysis of the proportion of slots and table games in the county compared with the statewide total.
Economists argue that gambling is good for the local economy if it brings people in from elsewhere or keeps locals from spending that money somewhere else – read Las Vegas.
“It is an economic benefit or boost for San Diego, but it's not as big as other industries,” said economist Kelly Cunningham, of the San Diego Institute for Policy Research.
