[hollaathenry]

I live in LA and I come to Vegas at least once a month, mostly for the food, sightseeing, and especially the music/nightclubs(which I think are the best in the world). I don't gamble. IMHO even if gambling becomes less prominent to Vegas it will find new ways to reinvent itself, which it has always done in the last 15+ years I've been visiting this city. (Coincidentally during that time it's always been my favorite place to vacation and still is ) Viva Las Vegas!

[ScoopLV]

Originally Posted by BBMW

There are plenty of people doing both.

Exactly. And the bean counters don't care WHERE the money comes from, as long as it's rolling in. The hotel turns a profit. The bars and restaurants turn a profit. The casino is almost ALL profit. The pool, the shops, everything...

The very few things that don't turn a profit are written off as marketing -- the TI Pirate Show, for instance. Or are necessary to keep the resort ticking -- engineering, wardrobe, the EDR, et cetera.

[BBMW]

There are some decent poker rooms within a 2-ish hour drive from NYC (AC, CT, the new Philly places), but the vibe in Vegas is different and better. I play the local (if you can call a two hour drive local) places more, because they're, well, local. But I still make a point of getting out to Vegas.

Originally Posted by T-Rob123

My Mom & Dad go to their local casino 3-4 times a week, EVERY WEEK, in Washington State. I should say one of their local casinos, they live within 30 miles of a few of them, but one is literally right down the road. And even so, they LOVE going to Las Vegas. My Dad said it's like you spend all year in the minors for a crack at the major league. Do they think they have a better chance of winning in Vegas? I don't think so. I think, as has been said, it's the entire experience.

[volfanga]

As gambling has grown so has Vegas until this last economic set back.
i think as more Casinos grow so will Vegas. People learn to gamble locally
and then they all want to go to Vegas eventually. Plus as corporate Casino
companies have casinos all over but the best ones are always in Vegas at least
in the states. They feed from all the other markets nationwide to draw
gamblers to Vegas. The biggest issue they may face is with the real high rollers
and them going to Macau and Singapore. But the majority of travelers I meet in
Vegas from all over the world come here because there is no place else that
has the mystique of Vegas worldwide at this point.

[Dport7674]

Going to your local riverboat casino doesn't scratch the same itch that Vegas does.

[BBMW]

A friend of mine, who really likes to gamble, just went to a Midwest riverboat. He wasn't impressed.

A lot of local casinos out in the country know they have a captive audience and don't have to make that much of an effort to give their customers a great experience. In Vegas with so many casinos so close together, and having to draw people from out of town, the casinos have to go out of their way to give their customer a reason to come.

[sojones]

Internet business is moving to Las Vegas. Major business will develop here for digital world over next 5 years. You heard it here first.

[Llew]

Originally Posted by sojones

Internet business is moving to Las Vegas. Major business will develop here for digital world over next 5 years. You heard it here first.

Interesting - good to hear that there's something besides "gambling will make a comeback".

I personally don't think that the "Vegas experience" will be enough to maintain even the status quo - which, by the way, has a bunch of projects stalled, a bunch of casinos bleeding red ink, and a bunch that are dead or close to it.

If no new casinos appeared anywhere else from this point on, maybe the status quo would be sustainable, but the trend is for states and municipalities that have never previously allowed gambling to permit new casinos - and each new casino does siphon money away from Las Vegas - they don't convert everyone, of course, but a certain percentage.

Cost, convenience, weather, and destination activities are four factors that will draw gamblers away from Las Vegas.

Cost: the cost of a plane ticket, rental car, food, hotel, etc. Some people will forego the Vegas atmosphere and selection if they can gamble in their neighborhood or online and avoid paying for all that other stuff. The more "local" casinos and online gambling destinations that exist, the more of these people that Vegas will lose.

Convenience: the time it takes to plan a trip and travel to Las Vegas may not be worth it to some people when a local casino opens or gambling is available from their browser.

Weather:Most people would rather not be outside in 100+ degree heat. When there are other options in areas with more appealing weather, some people will opt for those instead.

Destination activities: Vegas has its restaurants, shows, and nightclubs. But what about casinos at ski resorts, tropical beaches, wine country, or other traditional vacation areas? Once these become more common, Vegas will lose those people who want gambling combined with these other things that Vegas can't offer.

[ScoopLV]

Your hypothesis does not square with reality. The reality is that a significant amount of people from southern California drive here every other weekend to party it up. Business where I work has never been better. Repeat - never been better.

People have posted their first-hand observations about why people still come to Las Vegas, despite easy access to Indian casinos, Atlantic City, and Macau. You seem to be ignoring all that information.

[Llew]

Originally Posted by ScoopLV

Your hypothesis does not square with reality. The reality is that a significant amount of people from southern California drive here every other weekend to party it up. Business where I work has never been better. Repeat - never been better.

People have posted their first-hand observations about why people still come to Las Vegas, despite easy access to Indian casinos, Atlantic City, and Macau. You seem to be ignoring all that information.

Don't take this the wrong way, but I'll take economic indicators, quarterly earnings statements, and large, disruptive trends over anecdotal evidence from a handful of people.

Can gambling revenue lost to these new places be replaced by the party/entertainment biz? I think that's unlikely. Gambling was semi-unique to LV because laws permitted it while it was forbidden in most other spots. LV doesn't have a similar "trump card" (heh) when it comes to shows, nightclubs, etc. It's got an infrastructure and brand advantage for these things, sure, but it not such a clear-cut choice for the partier like it was for the gambler 10-15 years ago - and it's much easier for other locales to compete.