New Respectability of Casinos

CASINO INDUSTRY - NEW RESPECTABILITY

Today, the gaming industry in general holds the equivalent of a royal flush in terms of growth, marketability, and respectability. Gambling fever is spreading

so fast that legalized gambling is now available in nearly every state. Currently forty-six states allow casino gambling in one form or another in the form of either casino riverboats and/or land-based casinos.

A huge portion of gaming's increase in popularity and success has come from Native American reservation gambling operations, or what is commonly called Indian gaming. Through recent changes in state and federal laws, tribal nations now have the legal latitude to offer a variety of betting games on federally recognized reservations. This change has brought a flood of new casino operations to these lands, some by big-name operators such as Harrah's and Boyd's Gaming Corporation. Riverboat gambling is also back in vogue. Cities up and down the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers are inviting casino operators to set up shop on either floating barges or actual boats making regularly scheduled trips into open water.

Even Las Vegas, the industry old-timer, is seeing sweeping changes. Once a haven for organized crime, the city's casinos have evolved into publicly traded major corporations with an emphasis on family entertainment and values. This, coupled with the Nevada State Gaming Commission's crackdown on illegal activities, has noticeably elevated Las Vegas' reputation. In fact, Las Vegas is predicted to lead the nation in terms of job growth through the year 2010. According to a recent DRI/McGraw-Hill economic forecasting report, the Las Vegas area will sustain a 3.5 percent annual employment growth through the end of the decade, while all other U.S. metropolitan areas will experience only a 1.6 percent increase.

Casino operations are expanding in some of Nevada's other cities as well. Sparks, Carson City, Henderson, and Laughlin have experienced renewed vitality due to the gaming industry. Beyond Nevada, new gaming centers are busting on the scene. Places like Cripple Creek, Colorado, and Deadwood, South Dakota, draw huge crowds to their casinos and have enjoyed economic bonanzas as a result.

Overall, the industry has never had it so good. That's why now is the perfect time for you to jump into the game. With this tremendous growth come jobs and the excitement of being a part of the action.