Survey shows declining percent of Clark County adults gamble

Monday, May 17, 1999 | 7:37 a.m.

A 1997/1998 study by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority shows that 73 percent of residents gamble at least occasionally. That figure is down 10 percentage points from a similar study conducted in 1995/1996.

Gambling ranked second as the favorite activity of local residents, with movies topping the list and eating out ranking No. 3.

Some Las Vegas casino executives are skeptical about the decline in the gambling numbers. Clark County's population grew by more than 11 percent over the two years, so while the percentage has declined, the actual number of local gamblers has increased, some gambling executives said.

Nearly half the residents who don't gamble cited financial reasons - "too expensive/costs too much/can't afford it."

Other reasons cited included "don't like it/don't enjoy it/not interested" (39 percent); "religious reasons" and "never win/odds too slim to win," (both 22 percent) and "bad past experiences" 10 percent.

Glenn Christenson, chief financial officer of Station Casinos, a major player in the locals market, said during the two-year period between the studies, the company's revenue was up 60 percent and cash flow doubled.

"The (locals) market is still growing," Christenson said.

Clark County's population grew to more than 1.2 million in 1998, an 11.3 percent gain compared with the 1.1 million in 1996, according to the 1999 edition of Las Vegas Perspective.

Most local gamblers said they stay away from the Strip because of crowds, traffic, tourists and inconvenience to get there. Some 72 percent gamble elsewhere, mainly in neighborhood hotel-casinos.

About 47 percent of local gamblers said they gamble at least once a week, compared with 55 percent in the 1995-96 survey.

Some 56 percent said they spend less than $25 per visit for gambling, while 44 percent said they budget more. Video poker and slot machines were the favorite games.