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Las Vegas is trying a lot to turn its own market around. It’s no secret that gambling isn’t what it used to be before the recession. There have been a lot of changes in the gambling market over the past two years. Recall five years ago that Las Vegas was flying high. It built a reputation up for itself as one of the biggest gambling centers of the entire world. There were casinos galore for every gamers’ needs and a lot to do beyond that. One of the changes that gambling in the city has taken on over the years is turning from a single’s paradise, to a more family-friendly location. It isn’t without purpose though. Gaming companies in the area purposely changed their business model to include all ages when they realized their demographics were getting older. It worked like a charm for the city and millions of visitors proved it as they packed The Strip all day and night long. Then the recession happened.

With little else but gambling to rely on in terms of revenue, Las Vegas was in a difficult position financially when the recession first began. Suddenly people stopped spending and that of course included gambling at the top of the list. Las Vegas didn’t take it sitting down though- the city started pushing for changes to try to draw people back in. Their first big change was creating the City Center. This was a huge billion-dollar center that included retail outlets, gaming floors, conference centers, office buildings and condominium complexes. It was created by Dubai World and MGM Mirage. Though it was expected to reinvigorate the market, it didn’t. Now Las Vegas officials are on to a new project to try to turn things around. This time it is the Cosmopolitan that is entering the market as a gambling casino. The Cosmopolitan has just shy of 3,000 suites and 1,500 slot machines. They should be available for gaming by December 15th of this year. The city’s officials hope that this too will help to bring in more tourism and more revenue. It may take a while for full revival, but it’s development and expansion that are going to give the city its best chance at a turnaround.

Maryland is still on a high thanks to its Hollywood Casino opening. The casino brought in the thousands it was hoped to serve, and then some. Gamers from all over chose to get in on the fun and found that the slots at the casino were top notch and a lot of fun for them. There were even a few big winners since the opening of the casino in Perryville. So far crowds have continued to gather at the casino and wager. In just four days of initial operations the casino managed to bring in about $2 million. That is huge news for legislators who pushed for gambling to be brought in, and those who didn’t. Regardless of what side they were on, the change is a huge asset for the community. If this is a sign of what is to come, they could be sitting pretty on revenues of anywhere from $40 to $60 million per month, part of which would go directly to the state.

Part of their big draw was that people left the casino with great things to say. There were 1,500 slot machines for them to enjoy and on average, every slot handed out about $350. That is a huge return and most people who wagered for any length of time were able to win some money—a great feeling at any casino. The state’s legislators were ecstatic too. They know that the casino is going to be highly lucrative for them. Taking their tax revenue cut of a $40-$60 million revenue stream every month is no small change. That money is already being earmarked for various public works programs and education. The state was forced to cut back on education programs in the past and now can reinstitute them. This great news for residents who want more options for their children and anyone going back to further their education. If the state can continue to flourish with Hollywood Casino, it can eventually rebuild itslef and its market to what it was pre- recession, or even better. Overall this is one of the best action plans gambling has taken in the US market. Hopefully other states will see the same long-lasting success with their own gambling plans.

Most countries these days want more gambling. They believe that gambling is the key to bringing a growth market to their economies and herald the millions of dollars to be had. Though the overall push is for increased gaming, there are still some countries that are pushing back against the demand. Australia is a country that isn’t all for gambling increases. Sure the government is well aware that it is a great way to shore up funds. The market overall is a billion-dollar one and it is expected to move-than double in size in coming years. However, with it some new problems are arising that the Australian government cannot ignore. Namely addictions for the country are on the rise. This is causing legislators to question how useful gambling is. Sure it may ring in a lot of money, but if that money needs to be channeled then into high-cost addiction centers, how useful is it? Plus addictions bring about a lot of other problems like foreclosures, bankruptcy, defaults, repossessions, not to mention marital and social problems. These all cost money to rehabilitate. That money could seriously cut down on the amount of revenue being brought in and make it moot.

The Australian government is well aware of the growing addiction problems too. They see how numbers are increasing and attribute it not only to the growing popularity of gambling as a whole, but also to online gambling. Residents are being inundated with forms of gambling from every angle and it could be taking its toll on them. They seem to be managing well thus far, but that doesn’t mean the government is turning a blind eye to concerns over addiction. Senator Xenophon is calling for stricter rules regarding gambling. He wants to shore up all the rules regarding the pastime and creating regulations that protect the people. He also warns that legislators cannot be blinded by the revenues that gambling provides, and allow problems to go unmanned as a result. He wants to continue with the gambling initiatives because it is clear that people want to wager, but his main concern is to get rules into place before another growth spurt occurs.

One of the cons of legalizing gambling in the US has always been the growth in addictions. Namely a recent study uncovered slots gaming as one of the most addictive activities available in a casino. Consider that you can find slots to wager on that are anywhere from one penny to fifty dollars to wager on. That means that almost any gamer can reasonably have a great time with slot machines. Regardless of their bankroll limitations, they can still find a good casino floor to provide a great gaming experience. If a person is wagering on a slot machine though, a lot of people lose sight of what they are putting into the machine. Consider how easy it is to wager, activate all the lines and pull a lever. It makes going overboard on a wager limit easy. Unlike a high-roller table game, slots are unassuming. They are cute and fun. No one believes that they can lose their entire bankroll on a slots game. This couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Slots are just like other games—they cost money to play. Remember that when you are wagering on slots games, the same rules hold true. The house always wins and the longer you stay, the more money you lose. It is difficult to leave a casino with a positive win…not impossible, but probability-wise difficult. For this reason legislators are pushing for protection for gamblers. They want to create various programs that will help gamblers to avoid falling into addictions. What research is showing is that it is most cost effective to help gamblers stay away from problems, than it would be to rehabilitate them if problems occur. The cost of a rehab center and addiction services is a much heftier cost. Consider also that a person in the midst of addiction brings other problems to the market. They may lose their homes, elevating the foreclosure rate in their city. They may lost their cars to repossessions, elevating the defaulted loans for the banking system. They may have to file for bankruptcy, putting creditors at risk of losing revenue. Overall addictions take their toll on society and legislators are doing all they can to avoid it.

In recent months Pennsylvanian news a casino located at Gettysburg battlefield has taken center stage. There are dueling sides to the issue. Some people are in favor of the casino and others aren’t. They want to protect the location due to its historic appeal and want to make sure that it isn’t tainted via gambling and millions of potential visitors. On the other hand there is a pro-side. They believe that bringing in a casino to the Gettysburg area will do nothing but add to the already popular area and be a positive move for the local economy. Recently a veterans group joined together to voice their support for the building. They believe that a casino in the area will not sully the name of the area, but rather bring positive changes. It will reinvigorate the market and give visitors something to do. They may come to see the landmark location, but they will extend their stays to take advantage of the gambling offered at the casino. That means they will bring in millions of dollars to the area and hundreds of jobs—neither of which should be taken lightly. Remember that Pennsylvania, like other states, suffered during the recession and has had problems with recovery. Politicians and legislators alike are debating what they can do to bring in more tourist traffic. They want to turn things around, but know that change is dependent on the amount of people they can bring into their areas. What better way to bring people in than to create a premiere casino for them to enjoy?

The casino being proposed is the Mason Dixon Resort and Casino at the former Eisenhower Hotel. Penn National would head up the project and bring it to fruition along with businessman David Le Van. The joint venture would be for a premier casino that serves thousands of patrons every month. Their plan would support an increased economy and create a new revenue stream for the already notable area. It was somewhat of a surprise that the veteran group is behind the change, but now that they have voiced their opinions, it is helping to bring notoriety to the plan. Most likely it will happen due to the amount of money and job creation potential it has.

The gambling market has come far. In past times gambling casino employees had little to look forward to other than pay. It was a job, but offered little of the benefits that other jobs enjoyed. When people are looking for jobs in any other market they look at a lot of things—pay, benefits, vacation and overtime. It is standard in other markets that workers are aware of the benefits package that should come along with their salary workup. Unfortunately in the past employees of gambling casinos were not privy to the same benefits. They in fact could hope for minimum wage and then have to work their ways up to a decent salary. That is all starting to change. The biggest contributor to the differences in salaries for gaming workers has been the growth in gambling. Now that gambling is considered to be a viable career choice and bringing in billions of dollars, it is gaining a lot of attention. Rules and regulations are changing quickly because of the sheer growth of the market.
In a lot of areas gambling casino workers are seeking to form unions. It is the single most important thing they can do to fight for their rights and equality in the market. For example, workers in Illinois formed UNITE HERE Local 1. They recently reached an agreement that changes how casino workers are compensated. It brings their revenue streams to the structure that other workers have received for years.

UNITE HERE Local 1 pushed Ameristar Casino company to institute a retro-active pay scale. They also have to include retirement plans for their employees. This is of particular note because in prior years it was unheard of for casino employees to have any kind of retirement benefit. This is a groundbreaking advance in the market that most likely will pass on to other locations and generations of gaming employees. As of now this deal is going to last until 2012, on October 31st. Throughout that time however, most gaming companies expect that the Unions involved will renegotiate for new contracts beyond that time. UNITE HERE Local 1 currently represents 200 employees at Ameristar in East Chicago but their negotiating will no doubt influence a much larger circle of people by 2012.

More areas are suffering from casino increases. One of the biggest problems that gaming companies are facing is the increase in casinos. The problem is that numbers are down and have been for over two years now. But states are pushing for gambling increases—in games and in gaming floor space. They know how much money is brought into their economies via gambling and are ready to maximize that with more gambling options. The problem though is that there are not enough people to sustain all those gambling facilities at the level they are being constructed. Consider that if there is $5 million in revenue at one casino, it can sustain itself with revenue streams that are positive. On the other hand, if two more casinos are built in the area, that still leaves only $5 million in revenue, but now it has to be split three ways. And if one of those new casinos has a bigger gaming floor, or better games, or even better promotions, it is going to win out. That leaves the other two casinos in the dust. Overall things are leveling themselves off in the industry and a lot of casinos are still suffering though gambling is a highly popular undertaking.

Recently Atlantic City has been making headlines due to their revenues being down. Not minor declines in revenue, but seriously threatening declines. There is another change in the area now. Pennsylvania is a state that is making gaming changes now. The state added table games earlier this year and that is threatening neighboring state’s revenues considerably. The move by Pennsylvania is not only affecting New Jersey but also Connecticut. The leveling off period is making it difficult for casino companies to keep operating at the same levels. Consider that there also internet gambling companies entering the market. They not only have the asset of vast array of games, but they also offer the convenience of gambling from people’s own homes. Overall the gambling market is seeing a big shift and now pushing towards online gambling. This without a doubt will put more land based casinos on the offensive.

Once again gambling is taking a front seat in a political run. New York’s Republican candidate Carl Paladino is holding gambling as one of his main focuses when it comes to the coming election. It isn’t new to anyone that gambling is a huge political tool. You can scan the most pertinent information in the market and easily find out how big dollar gambling is a huge attention grabber. Not only are politicians drawing up lines on the issue, but voters are making their own decisions too. They know that casinos mean big dollars and those dollars can be fueled into their economies to aid in them turning things around. In addition, voters know that big dollars mean jobs too. If anything can contend with money, it is jobs. The American public has long been having problems finding jobs since the recession. Millions of people lost their jobs and have been scrambling to find new ones since. It has been a recurring problem with Americans who are ready to get back to their old lives, but still are in the unemployment lines.

Right now Paladino is pushing his agenda to the state by citing a revamped contract with the Oneida tribal leaders. The tribe currently runs Turning Stone Casino and Paladino is questioning the amount of revenue that the casino is bringing in. He wants to rework the contract and maximize the amount of money accessible to the state. His next move is to close down roads that lead to the tribe’s casino if they refuse to start negotiations. The tribe thus far has a two-week window to respond to the politicians call for negotiation. Unfortunately due to the situation, the tribe has few other options than to negotiate right now. Their numbers are already down thanks to the recession. Like other casinos in the country, the Turning Stone Casino has been losing revenue due to lack of customers for some time now. Without a reinvigorated market, they have few options than to hope a new contract will help them to bring in more revenues. In coming months expect the gambling issue to be the center of the issue for politicians in all states—especially New York.

There is only one thing worse than the Las Vegas economy right now and it is the Atlantic City economy. It’s no secret that both US gambling meccas have been having problems as of late with revenue. Since the recession they have lost a lot of customers and that is proving to be a longstanding problem for them. Resorts Atlantic City is the longest-standing casino in New Jersey. It has been struggling for a long time now. One of the biggest problems is that newer casinos are quickly taking over as they are on the cusp of technological advances and gaining the newest games for their patrons. Resorts Atlantic City isn’t keeping up. Right now its operators are pushing for a change in its entire theme to liven up its offering. The goal is to transform the casino into a 20s-themed location by mid-2011. The hope is that a total revamp will bring in a new customer base and bring in more revenue as a result. This is just part of the focus of operators of the huge casino.

Remember that when it was built 1978, Resorts Atlantic City was a stand-out. It brought some of the best gaming and was showcased by the 27-floor tower hotel that followed it. It had the ability to boast the “largest standard rooms” in the city. Of course that was overturned when other casinos entered the market and started building bigger and better, but for a while it was the number one location for people wanted the most room to spread out in their luxury hotel rooms. Part of the problem with the Resorts Atlantic City location is that it is suffering revenue straight across the board. Slot machine numbers are down and so are table games. In the past they have experienced temporary dips, but not to this degree. It is making it next to impossible for the company to completely turn things around. Suffering blows to both of its major revenue streams is proving to be a huge issue for the company. Only time will tell if the company is able to regroup and rebuild its former customer base and in turn, revenue stream.

California is a state leading the pack in developing a gambling initiative. Most likely it is because of its record deficit. This year the deficit made waves at a staggering $19.1 billion. That means that programs are in danger of being further cut…and there isn’t really much the state can spare. It has already pared down on a lot of programs that in former years were abundant. That means that there aren’t possible changes to fix things. The state has to elevate its revenue stream or it is facing an even higher deficit in the future and more problems with public programs. So far democrats want to borrow billions of dollars or increase taxes to overcome the problems. Other legislators are looking to expand gambling. This could be a good option, but it points to elevated levels of addictions as a possible outcome. California is making history by creating the first publicly funded gambling addiction program. It is the UCLA Gambling Studies Program that is teaming up with the Department of Alcohol and Drug Program to deal with the issue. The program is going to be a full-service center that helps gamblers deal with varieties of issues related to gambling problems.

The intriguing thing about this plan is that it is the first program that is going to be fueled publicly. That opens the door to other states to come through with a same problem. The joint venture between these two is unique and the first of its kind. The main focus is for research to be done not only on the issue, but also on its origins, and in turn a better treatment program. UCLA is known as one of the biggest research centers for various issues with the public. Now that the state is looking to increase its gambling addiction potential it has to come up with a plan for problems. The best way to do this is to create a joint venture with its biggest addiction-related companies and let them come up with solutions. The state of California is well on its way to creating a new publicly funded program that should help residents with any problems they have when it comes to over-gambling.