We knew the economy was going to be hit hard by the recession, the travel industry hasn’t been kind to the casinos, and the ripple effect has been devastating to the gaming industry. This is a huge loss in revenue for gaming states and the reality is, it’s going to get much worse before it gets better. Care to place a bet?

Revenue is trickling in at a pace that can best be described as ‘father time in a coma’, casino debt is on the rise at an alarming rate and one has to wonder who will be left holding the bag of ‘fool’s gold’, when it’s all said and done.  What happens in Vegas surely won’t stay there, because it will take an act of Congress, yet again, to bail out the casino’s, just as the banks were bailed out with tax dollars. Casino executives in the larger metropolitan cities are feeling this pinch, either accept a pay cut, or fold and walk away. Then there are the casino employees who are following in the footsteps of what appears to be a mock reorganization under the chapter 13 bankruptcy law, no paid holidays, pay cuts,  less time on the clock and the worse, slashing of positions all together. When the ‘big boys’ start to struggle, all bets are off with the current economy.

So, what’s being done in the gaming industry to try and revive the house? Vacation packages, deep discounts and expanding the high roller specials to the general public. Almost 60% off room rates compared to last year, casino credit, major discounts on spa treatments, discounted and in some cases free entertainment, free breakfast, buffets, dinners, gas credits, free bottle of champaign each night, bonus travel miles if you book a flight as part of your package, free admission tickets to associated events and amenities galore. If that isn’t enough to tempt you into planning a trip to one of these hot spots in the near future, then perhaps waiting a couple of months  for the deals to get better might be your idea of gambling. Either way, you can’t win unless you play! Don’t forget the online casino’s, they’ve been running some amazing discounts and deals as well. There are 20% bonuses on first purchases, low minimums, matching your deposits and in some cases exceeding that by 20%, free no deposit online casino deals, the list goes on and on.

If you’ve saved for that perfect vacation, you can’t find a better time to enjoy the high life, city lights and fanfare extravaganza associated with casinos. It’s truly a players market right now, want the best deal available, go directly to the casino’s website. If all else fails you can negotiate once you make the call, ask them, “Is that the best deal you’ve got going right now”, you’ll be pleased to hear the voice on the other end adding extra tid bits to your stay with free offers, free shows and you might even get lucky by winning at the slots with the casino cash. You’re in the dealer seat now!

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