The growth of the casino
It has been hard to miss the growth of casinos and other gaming
parlors in the past several decades. It seems that more and more
governments are turning to the power of legalized gaming to fund
everything from education for the children to prescription drugs
for the senior citizens. Gaming is big business, and there are
always casino operators ready, willing and able to take a piece
of the action.
You already know the big names in the casino business, among
them such luminaries as Donald Trump and Steve Wynn. And from
the pleasure palaces of Las Vegas to the dingy appeal of
Atlantic City, there are many places average gamblers and high
rollers alike can enjoy the appeal of the casino.
But casinos are no longer limited to the big cities we all know.
These days even the smallest towns are cashing in on the lure of
big money. There are casinos, some run by Indian tribes and
others run by private and public organizations, dotting the
landscape from coast to coast.
In many cases, states are legalizing gaming in an attempt to
stem the tide of citizens crossing the border for gaming action
in neighboring states. For example, Pennsylvania recently
legalized slot machines, and they will soon join the ponies in
Pennsylvania's horse racing tracks. This is in many ways an
attempt to convince gamblers to stay at home instead of heading
to the casinos of Atlantic City just a few hours away.
In fact, bus trips to casinos are a growth industry in
themselves, and a visit to the bus center in any of the Atlantic
City casinos will reveal bus after bus, coming day in and day
out. Casinos often offer cash bonuses to gamblers to lure them
to the slots, bingo, blackjack, poker, roulette and other
popular games. It certainly works, and many on those buses are
regulars, drawn to the excitement and promise of easy riches.
While gaming will always be somewhat controversial, it seems
that the casino is certainly here to stay.