Nickel Slots Prove Attractive
Nevada's Gaming Control Board reports that the state's casinos brought in $824.5 million during August, a 1.2 percent increase from last August's revenue.
Much of the revenue can be traced to nickel slot machines. These slots have gained in popularity since multicoin machines became available.
In addition, the board reported that revenue from black jack rose 2.3 percent for the month. At the same time, game and table win was down for the state by 4.5 percent, with baccarat dropping 27.4 percent, craps down 14.4 percent and roulette declining by 2.1 percent.
Oregonians Keep Gambling Despite Slowing Economy
Oregon's gambling revenue has managed to prosper since July, according to figures released from the Oregon State Lottery.
"We're slightly ahead, week by week, from last year," lottery spokesman David Hooper told the Associated Press. "We haven't seen any impact from Sept. 11."
Video poker net sales, representing about 80 percent of the lottery's income, brought in $9.6 million for the week ending Oct. 5, up from $9.2 million brought in the first week of September. Lottery ticket sales have dipped slightly, however, with lottery terminals averaging $991 per week in net sales since July 1, slightly less than the $1,007 reported for weekly sales during the period ending June 30.
"We haven't seen any impact from the economy or its decline. The basic theory that lotteries tend to be recession proof is still true," Hooper said.
Drugs, Teens and Gambling
A report published in the November issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry states that many adolescents being treated for drug abuse should also be treated for gambling problems.
The report is based on a study of 255 teen-agers and was performed by researchers at the University of Connecticut Health Center.
The study showed that 38 percent of the participants had gambled at least once during the preceding 90 days, while one in five admitted to having problems with gambling. Those teens reporting gambling problems tended to be male, African American and living with a single parent.
These teens also are more likely than their peers to have used marijuana or to have frequently used drugs and alcohol. They also are more likely to engage in risky sexual behavior, such as engaging in unprotected sex, trading sex for drugs and having multiple sex partners.
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