Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
1
10
Gambling
From slots to poker and more, learn
the rules and the odds before the
games begin
by Kate Silver
L
AS VEGAS ISN
'
T JUST A CITY THAT SPROUTED UP IN THE MIDDLE OF A HARSH
and unforgiving desert. It's a concept, the notion that anything can happen
brought to life. From the sphinxes of the Luxor to the canals of the Venetian to the
dancing fountains of Bellagio, the underlying language of Las Vegas beckons to the
masses in a whisper—and sometimes a scream—“Your fantasy can come true.”
And what is one of the most common fantasies? (Banish those dirty thoughts!)
Riches. The equal ability of anyone and everyone to pull a handle, flip a card,
select a number, and suddenly have their entire life change. Gambling, or gam-
ing, as we in Las Vegas refer to it (the latter sounds so much more civilized) has
the capability of making dreams reality. And that—coupled with liquor, sex, and
the mob—has made Las Vegas, “Lost Wages,” as some say, what it is today.
What was once a secret vice for men, played in dark, smoky back rooms and
basements, has long become a respectable pastime. In fiscal year 2006, casinos in
the state of Nevada won $12.2 billion, up 10.8% over the year before. Slots
accounted for a record $8.1 billion, or two-thirds of the total. Table games earned
the other $4.1 billion, of which poker accounted for $152.5 million, exceeding
the profits on sports wagering for the first time, by $11.9 million. Casinos in
Clark County (where Las Vegas is located) won $10.2 billion, up 11.8%, with 6.4
billion of that going to the Strip—that's an increase of 14.6%—while downtown
Las Vegas' take decreased by 1.8 percent.
But Las Vegas isn't the gambler's only option, and casinos know it. At the time
of this writing, most states have either riverboats or American Indian casinos or
both. This isn't so much of a threat to Las Vegas as it is a challenge to go bigger,
better, and brighter. As though the city really needed more incentive.
LUCK OF THE DRAW
Each casino is meant to be a fantasyland for its visitors. Consider the skimpy
cocktail waitress outfits, the free drinks, the absence of clocks, the aromatherapy
pumped into the casinos, and, of course, the floor plans that are based on count-
less studies to make a gambler so comfortable (or dazed) that he'll stick around
longer and gamble more. Casinos are well-oiled sociology machines that know
just what they're doing when they mysteriously manage to make you forget you're
actually spending your hard-earned cash—and at an alarmingly fast rate.
But as everyone knows, those towering casinos filled with alluring canals, roller
coasters, and an Eiffel Tower weren't built off of gamblers' winnings. Fantasy aside,
the underlying law of economics applies just as much in Las Vegas, Nevada as it
