In Australia, pokies are more popular than ever, as they continue to provide players with exciting and innovative gaming experiences. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for poker machines in Las Vegas. The former gambling capital of the world has seen a decline in revenue, and players are spending less and less on pokies and other forms of gambling.
According to Vegas Inc., they number of pokies in Nevada has significantly declined over the course of the past decade. From 2000 to 2012, 38 000 have been removed from gaming floors across the state. Of these games, 13 000 were located on the Las Vegas strip. The number of table games also declined. At the turn of the century, there were over 1000, but now there are less than 900.
The global recession is likely to blame for the loss of poker machines and pokie revenue. Las Vegas was a major vacation destination before the economic downturn. Since potential tourists were forced to watch their spending, the city saw a decline in visitors. This contributed to a major loss of gambling revenue, which led to the removal of many games across the city.
New gaming technology is likely to be a cause of the decline in the number of games. There is no longer the need to have multiple versions of the same games for different denominations. Now, the same game can be played for pennies or dollars, eliminating redundant titles. This development has had a positive effect on the gaming industry, and it has actually led to a slight increase in spending despite the decline in pokie numbers.
Vegas continues to struggle to recover from the economic downturn, and its poker machines are feeling the pinch. The city also has to compete with new international gambling destinations like Macau and Manila, an obstacle that will certainly hinder Las Vegas’ recovery.
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