Phil Ruffin's Online Casino Vision

Phil Ruffin, the Kansas billionaire owner of Treasure Island and co-owner of Trump International Tower, is feeling upbeat about the future of Las Vegas. In a local newspaper article he describes his bold $3 billion dollar bet that by 2020 the Las Vegas Strip will be booming.

Ruffin continues to expand upon his vision of Las Vegas as a global magnet for those seeking the excitement of casinos, show girls and glitzy entertainment. He predicts that by 2020 between 45 and 50 million people will be filling the local hotels.

He published a column in the Las Vegas Sun over the weekend.

Legalization on the Way
Ruffin feels that the enticement of tax revenue will ultimately be the deciding factor in regulating the online casino industry and predicts that regulation will be introduced over the next decade.

However, he is upbeat about the effect this will have on land based casinos, feeling that Las Vegas packs a punch all of its own. Ruffin's confidence is on account of the unique range of entertainment on offer in Las Vegas, from big name concerts to high class strip shows. "I don't think Internet gambling will hurt the casino industry," says Ruffin. "You can't go to our shows on the Internet."

Online Gambling - an Education
Reflecting on the future legalization of online gambling, Raffin states: "I don't think Internet gambling will hurt the casino industry. It will probably educate more people about gaming." This, in turn, he asserts, will encourage more and more people to sample the Las Vegas experience and the famous Strip will be positively booming by 2020.

Ruffin's vision of the future also sees technology changing the face of the casino floor as we know it - ensuring that the thrills on offer make use of all the technical advances, bringing the game well and truly into the twenty-first century.

In the picture: Phil Ruffin and wife - supermodel and Miss Ukraine 2001 title holder Aleksandra Nikolayenko.