Q:
A previous QoD recently answered the question about which state did Las Vegas get the most tourists from. It got me to thinking about the locals in Las Vegas. How many locals on average gamble, and where do they gamble? Do they mainly go to off-Strip casinos like the Stations, Sam's Town, etc? How many locals gamble on the Strip?
A:
The Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority publishes statistics on locals gambling habits on a biennial basis and the most recent span that figures are available for is the 2003-2004 period. Here are some of the relevant figures:
- 70% of Clark County residents gamble at least occasionally.
- Of those who gamble, three in seven (43%) do so at least once a week.
- More than half (57%) of gamblers who volunteered information budget $25 or more per day for gaming, with 36% budgetting $50 or more.
- Slots are the most popular game among Clark County residents (35%), followed closely by video poker (34%).
- Among residents who gamble, 29% gamble most often on the Boulder Strip or Green Valley area, while 19% gamble on the Strip Corridor, 15% in the Summerlin area, 13% in North Las Vegas, 4% downtown, and 19% in other locations.
- Just over one-half (52%) of respondents who do not usually gamble on the Strip said it was because of crowds, traffic, and tourists and 8% said that the odds of winning are stiffer or that gaming is worse there.
- Nearly two-thirds (64%) of residents who gamble say they are a member of a casino slot club or players' club.
- 8% of respondents named gambling as their favorite activity (second only to movies, which accounted for 11%).
- Among those who play slots and video poker most often, 47% play quarter machines, 34% nickels, and 8% dollars.
- Of those residents who don't gamble, 54% stated it was because they couldn't afford it, 42% because they don't like or aren't interested in gambling, 14% because they don't win or think the odds are unfavorable, 13% don't gamble on religious grounds, 6% fear that it's too addictive, 5% don't like the casino atmosphere, and the remaining 2% refused to or had no answer.*
*Up to two responses were allowed.
Source: Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority 2003-2004 Clark County Residents Study.
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