A Blinding Look at the City of Lights

Las Vegas, Nevada, a city of about half a million people, is the host of millions more in gambling and convention tourism. About 40 million Americans visit the desert city every year, generating about $35 billion, or $100 million a day.

One quarter of this amount is spent at casinos. But gambling spurs the other expenses as well Be it spending on hotels and restaurants, shows and other forms of entertainment.

To host this enormous mass of visitors - about 4 million passengers pass through the airport every month, most of them with a stop in the city - there are over a dozen giant hotels and many ore smaller scale hotels and motels. In fact, 16 of the 20 largest hotels in the world are located in Las Vegas, with well over 100,000 rooms. Amazingly, on many nights, weekends and even weekdays over the course of a year these rooms are all booked.

What Competition?

Las Vegas, and the state of Nevada, are not alone in offering casino gambling. Atlantic City was the only other city in the United States that allowed gambling before 1990. Currently, it is legal in no less than 36 states. And 41 states (plus the District of Columbia) operate state lotteries. Only Mormon Utah and Hawaii, far off in the Pacific, do not provide gambling in one way or another.

Altogether Americans spend on gambling more than they do on many other forms of entertainment - combined. Take movie tickets, theme parks, spectator sports and video games and you won't reach the $100 billion of wagers made by Americans every year.

Internet gambling does indeed pose a threat to the Las Vegas industry. in England, where the population is about one fifth what it is in the US, the British spend about as much on gambling. Online gambling is more inviting for women, one source for this great income.

Status Quo

And so the industry takes all measures to protect its status. Fearing a loss of income and lesser occupancy at the Luxor, the Eiffel Tower, Venice and New York City - all themes of casinos along the Las Vegas Strip, not the actual places in other countries around the world - it lobbies hard to keep the ban on online gambling intact.

Whether these fears are justified or the game played at all legitimate is arguable. But it is clear that Las Vegas has what to protect.