Survey shows recreational gamblers are trendsetters

Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. recently released the 2006 edition of "Profile of the American Casino Gambler," a survey of recreational gamblers in the United States the company conducts every couple of years.

The survey showed that recreational gamblers tend to be trendsetters, and one of the new trends is that they favor licensed casinos in their home-states.


The survey results are based upon two independent, nationwide studies, and they show that more than 25% of Americans age 21 and older gambled at a casino at least once in 2005. Of those gamblers, they make an average of 6.1 trips to casinos per year.

"Most striking of all is the finding that, for the first time, a majority of U.S. adults now favor licensed casinos in their own states," said Gary Loveman, Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. president and CEO, in the foreward of the report.

This could end up being a strong indicator of future gambling trends since the survey also showed that recreational gamblers tend to be trendsetters.

"As we examined the attitudes of gamblers, we discovered that they're often asked by friends and neighbors for advice on food, travel, new technology, even home decorating and automotive choices," Loveman said. "Just as gamblers like to try new activities, they also tend to be the first to buy new products and to tell their families and friends about the experience. And no doubt, they have shared the news about the great times they have enjoyed in casinos."

Another interesting development from the survey showed that despite the tremendous increase in the popularity of live poker, 71% of recreational gamblers still prefer slot machines and video poker. Only 14% chose table games as their favorite, with blackjack ruling those with 9% of those surveyed followed by roulette, craps, and live poker.

To read the complete survey results, visit www.harrahs.com.

courtesy of Sarah Polson

News Added: 21 August, 2006

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