Economy slowing things down at the casinos too

BLACK HAWK - Take a look around Colorado's casinos, and you won't see many people. The struggling economy, together with the smoking ban and high gas prices, are taking a toll on the industry, which usually is resilient no matter the economic woes.

“Gambling is a really good industry to be in regardless of how the economy is,” said Leslie Sault, manager of the Black Hawk Station Casino.

Sault, along with most casino managers, admits there are now some major differences.

“They’ll hit a jackpot,” said Sault. “’Oh, I can pay my bills now.’ I heard that on the landing just a couple weeks ago. She said, “Oh thank God, I can pay my car payment and my phone bill now.’”

“Everything is up, you know? Money is tight, times are hard,” said casino customer Albert Ortega. “With gas prices and the economy the way it is, it’s not all that profitable to come up (here).”

Other customers notice a difference, too.

“It seems like it’s really quiet here, I mean it’s just been very, very, very calm. There’s not as many people here that are usually here on a regular basis,” said Ed Akenson, another customer.

According to the Colorado Division of Gaming, revenue for Colorado casinos has slowed dramatically. For the year, revenue is down 10.4 percent from the first eight months of 2007.

Gamers are hopeful things will turn around, but in the meantime, they say there is one advantage: no competition for slot machines.

“Before they were full,” said Ortega. “Now, you can pick your own.”