How Casino Operators Can Avoid a Stacked Tax Deck

In the perplexing world of property taxation, it's hard enough to get an appropriate assessment on a good day but even harder when the deck is stacked against you, Ben Blair wrote in the September issue of Casino Journal.

In the shadow of the Great Recession, local tax assessors have become increasingly aggressive with gaming properties, according to Blair, who focuses his practice on state and local tax litigation for clients across the United States. Furthermore, one of the most common errors by assessors, and even some appraisers hired by casinos, is the use of gaming revenues as an indication of a property's income-earning ability.

In his article, Blair offers tips to casino operators in holding back the tide of rising assessments — and not allowing assessors to stack the deck against them.