College Comps and the Casino Industry
During the past year, 24% of American adults visited a casino. In 1989, this percentage was 24%. Among those who had visited casinos, 24% had graduated from college, 28% had at least some college credits and nearly half had not attended college at all. This percentage has since dropped, and the average income for casino goers is now much lower than in 1989. These statistics highlight the importance of education in attracting visitors to casinos.
The number of casinos in the United States has increased to over 1,000. And, the number continues to grow as more states legalize casino gambling. In fact, 40 states now permit casino gambling. The growth of the industry outside Las Vegas is largely attributed to Native American gaming. Most casinos are located in a few metropolitan areas; however, larger cities are not defined by their casino presence. The Las Vegas Valley boasts the highest concentration of casinos in the United States, followed by Atlantic City and the Chicago area.
In addition to the high-stakes gamblers, casinos also reward “good” players with comps. These are given based on the length of time a player spends at the casino and the amount of money that they stake on the casino floor. Casinos also reward frequent gamblers with other benefits such as free drinks and cigarettes. Many casinos use these incentives to attract new gamblers and retain existing customers. This is a major source of revenue for casinos.