The financial crisis in the United States has left many people in dire straits. They lost their jobs, their homes, and even their pensions. But many people's interest in gambling has not waned. Casinos in the United States are still overcrowded. Americans especially like to gamble their luck in Las Vegas. But in general, the gambling industry has also been hit by the financial crisis and has experienced a downturn. Casino owners are ready for the hard times to come.
It's a crisis, all the more reason to gamble
Despite the fact that it is already the end of October, the climate in the desert city of Las Vegas is still as hot as fire. But this has not deterred holidaymakers. Day and night, the streets of this gambling city are still filled with tourists in Hawaiian shirts and knee-length shorts. The casinos are overcrowded.
Men, women and children of all ages sit in front of the slot machines, staring intently at the spinning reels. Every now and then someone let out a scream of surprise. People knew that it was someone who had won a few hundred dollars.
Nearly 40 million people come to Las Vegas every year to try their luck. Even now, in the midst of the financial crisis, Americans have not lost interest in gambling, like sisters Dimple and Jennifer from Florida. They are hanging out in the casino, slightly inebriated. They're not interested in the financial crisis, and Dimple only points her thumb downward.
Their retirement funds were about to unravel, they said. Were they going to take the last bit of their savings and squander it?
"No, no, no, of course not. But we're in Vegas now, so of course we're going to have some fun."
They drained their glasses of green drink and were off to the next casino. Eudy and Aaron were from Massachusetts. The middle-aged couple wandered hand in hand in front of the Eiffel Tower. This is the sign for the casino called Paris. They look happy. They smiled and said that this is where they tied the knot 14 years ago. This trip is like a second honeymoon for them. They had planned this trip before the financial crisis. Maybe they should have cancelled the trip, Aaron said. But luckily, the city has taken their minds off the current financial crisis: "Maybe it will get worse. But it still still seems to be booming at the moment. There are construction sites everywhere and people are busy. I don't see much difference from before, at least not yet...."
But casino owners are already feeling the brunt of the financial storm. Turnover at MGM, the biggest gambling company in Las Vegas, has fallen by 67 per cent. The company has had to take steps to halt all construction projects. But casino managers are reluctant to comment on this. Negative figures can affect a casino's reputation.
But Provenzano, 62, does not shy away from telling people about the current state of his dwindling income. He is a salesman for several nightclubs, restaurants and entertainment venues. He was distributing free admission tickets to entertainment venues to pedestrians. He informs, "I'm certainly not starving. I used to go home with big notes: $5, $10, $20, $50 and even $100 notes, all in cash. But such times are gone."
Pedro, who is from South America, works at a casino called Arizona Chalice. It's a third-rate casino. Pedro is a "house slave". He works hard to pay his mortgage. Although Pedro has not worked here long, he gets the impression that Las Vegas survives on the losers, not the winners. Pedro never gambles because he doesn't want to be a loser.
Las Vegas, USA
