As shown in figure 5, the reported total direct  cost to plan and stage the 1984 Games was approximately $707 million. As shown in figure 7, the total direct cost for planning  and staging these Games was about $2.4 billion. Objectives, Scope, and Methodology

As discussed in this report, the objectives of this assignment were to  determine:  the total direct cost of planning and staging the Winter Olympic Games  held in 1980 at Lake Placid, NY; and the Winter Olympic Games and  Paralympic Games planned for 2002 at Salt Lake City, UT;  the Summer  Olympic Games held in 1984 at Los Angeles, CA; and the Summer  Olympic Games and Paralympic Games held in 1996 at Atlanta, GA;  the total direct government funding and support at the local, state, and  federal levels, where available, for each of these Games; how the federal  funding and support were used; a complete roster of all the reported  projects and activities for each of the Games; and   the amount of federal funds and support specifically designated by  Congress for Olympic-related purposes, and the amount of federal  funding and support approved by the agencies and provided through  their normal funding procedures for each of these Games.
What GAO Found

Since 1980, the Winter and Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games hosted in the United States have increased in size and magnitude, as have the total direct costs to plan and stage them. The reported direct costs to plan and stage the games discussed in this report ranged from $363 million to more than $2.4 billion. Although the total dollar amount of federal funding and support has increased, the total federal share of the reported total direct costs to plan and stage the games has decreased. Since 1980, the amount of funding and support provided by state and local governments has increased. Generally, federal funding and support for the total direct costs of each of these games was either specifically designated by Congress or approved by the federal agencies.