Slots are valuable to casinos because of the huge amount of revenue they bring in, along with a record-low overhead for maintaining them. Now the games are being used to fund various state needs. A state in today’s market has a gambling plan, but also has the money earmarked well before it comes in. This is a problem for a lot of anti-gambling activists. They believe that if legislators earmark money they don’t have for funding the next year’s budget, they could be headed for trouble if games don’t perform the way they anticipated. You never know what the market is going to bring and there may be future crashes coming about. Anti-gambling activists are warning their legislators that no one predicted the recession. People were blindsided by the financial crunch, along with states and businesses. It was a difficult time for everyone and the market is still feeling the brunt of the issues the recession brought up. Now, legislators are already projecting what their slots parlors will bring in, and people are questioning how smart a move that really is. What if there is another credit crash putting people in dire straights? What if there is another problem with people wanting to wager at all? What if they are no longer willing to take a chance with their money, but rather want to shore up their individual savings and nest eggs?

The market has been left with diminished nest eggs and limited savings and this is drastically changing how they are coming back into the gambling market right now. They are returning to casinos…but slowly. Casino companies are building bigger and better bonuses for gamers. They are doing all they can to attract that many more gamblers to their businesses. It is a difficult time for them because they realize how much they have to do now to spur on business. A few years ago it didn’t take this much effort to get gamblers into their casino floors. People were seekng them out but now they have to seek out the market and then woo it. This is exactly what is happening and casino operators realize the shift in power thanks to the recession.

Part two coming next.

Kentucky legislators are in the midst of debates over gaming. The world today is up in the air when it comes to legislation. Some believe that gambling should be allowed, and others don’t. They think that it would bring in too many problems. There is another debate too. That is the debate over whether or not games fall under the category of “luck based” or “strategy based.” This is becoming a huge question because of the banning of slots games in many states. For example, Kentucky officials are now debating the issue thanks to their racing games. These games are similar, but not exactly akin to slots games. Slots of course are not allowed right now but those who want racing games are arguing that the games are not under the “luck based” heading. If legislators find that they are, they can be swept away under illegal activities like slots. Those who develop the machines though are insisting that they are not “luck based” and therefore should not be banned. They believe that the games give players enough options they can choose, to make them games of strategy.

Of course race tracks in the state are all for the games and want them to be allowed. They believe that slots will bring in a lot more revenue for the dying industry. Without slots, many race track owners don’t believe that they can survive long. They know that slots are the things that should save them and that is why they are pushing so hard for their passing. And they are truly right when they say that no other move can save them as reasonably as slots can. Right now though the final decision is on the brink of being made. Franklin Circuit Court Judge Thomas Wingate is stating that the official decision on the machines should be coming in a few days. He said this will ultimately decide whether or not the games are “luck” or “strategy” based and whether or not they will be allowed in race tracks. It will be interesting to see what happens because without slots, race track owners are facing further financial problems and even closing in mass numbers in the very near future.

There is more good news for cities throughout the US. A lot are suffering as a result of the markets being down. They have few options to generate cash, so they are looking to gambling as a means of making their own funding. The issue of slot machine revenue is beneficial for the federal government—that’s no secret. Legislators are trying to put together rules and regulations that will help them to make a lot of tax revenue dollars readily available throughout the month. But there are more advantages too– cities and counties are set to benefit too. A good casino can generate millions of dollar over the course of the year. For example, on average a 1,500 slot machine gaming facility can bring in $10-15 million in revenue a month. Part of that is taken off the top and given to the state’s regulators. This is why they are fighting so hard for changes and regulation. But cities and counties are also ready to take their part of the revenue. The money they gather can be used for their own agendas. Though the state is scheduled to receive millions in revenue from gambling, smaller entities like cities and counties are also in line for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Their legislators are fully aware of what to do and how to generate the cash needed to fuel more closely into the markets.

In addition to dollars, there are also other local advantages. Namely jobs are a huge asset that any city regulators are watching. It is no secret that the unemployment lines are long and people are still in the market for jobs. Businesses aren’t hiring as readily as they once were a few years ago. Now they are having problems with building the economy back up. If casinos are opened in various locations, they can create jobs for locals to enjoy. Once people start getting hired again, they can then start fueling that money into the economy. This makes it easier for the market to keep on building itself up. In the end slots parlors are good news for all parties involved. The money is readily useable immediately but so are the job creation possibilities.

Maryland has long pined for slot machines. The industry as a whole has proven lucrative and has single-handedly gotten more than a few land-based casinos through the recession. Industry insiders know that the the slots market has proven to be a lifesaver for more than a few businesses. As of late, the debate over slots has gotten heated due to huge deficits state governments are under. Most states are still trying to recover from the overwhelming heat of the economic downturn of 2007/2008. They are making changes, but recovery is coming much slower than hoped by experts.

Now Maryland has officially made the push for slots to come into the state. Formerly there have been many problems with bringing slots to the economy and the loss of revenue has made a sutstantial dent in the money owed. The reality for the state is that every month they don’t have slot machine gambling, they are losing millions of dollars. Things are about to change though because has finally approved a slot machine commission license for a site in Anne Arundel County. The proposal has to get local zoning approval, but the move brings slots gambling closer to a reality than it has been thus far. Zoning approval is the only thing that conceivable cold still hold up the process, but legislators are hopeful that it won’t be a holdup and slots will be able to come into the state’s funding. If they do get thorugh the approval process, the largest slot machine facility in the state will be constructed in Anne Arundel County.

A former vote showed that people are in support of bringing slots to the state but Anne Arundel County was not on the table when voting took place. Now that it is the number one location of the slots parlor, people are concerned about potential problems in the area. They are worried that traffic is already too congested and an addition slots facility will only continue to put a strain on the community. They also cite the potential additional problems with crime and corruption. So far the state has already approved the location and will be bringing in an initial 4,750 slot machines. That will make it the biggest facility in the state and hopefully will bring in huge funds to help defray the deficit. If the  zoning laws approve the faclity it could be open by December 2011.

Alabama is a state looking to revamp their slots parlors. The state officials know that they need to step up their game if they are to remain viable in the gambling market. For a long time the state has taken a beating from the Mississippi Gulf coast gambling industry. The two have gone head to head and Alabama has been the loser for most of the competition. Now the state is making moves to change that.

The state of Alabama is now making big changes in their slots market. In fact, the state is looking for new technologies and growth in the market of slot machines to help them overhaul their gambling. The new slot machines and their parlors are all top-notch in technology and although they are not Class III slot machines they are electronic bingo games. The state of Alabama does not allow the actual slot machines to be played in state, but the games look so much like slot machines, players seldom recognize the difference. The great thing about the games is that they offer users the same amount of gaming experience and fun that “normal” slot machines would.

The hotels and slot machine parlors are all being heralded as high-end and luxurious venues. They are taking a model from Las Vegas casinos that are decadent and rich in look, atmosphere and vibe. Hours of focus are put into the state’s slots parlors and they are looking to show the state’s gamblers and those of neighboring states that they can stand up against the premiere gambling reputation of Las Vegas and Atlantic City. The state is done playing second fiddle to Mississippi and trying its best to revamp its image.

Overall, every state is currently working to utilize slots gambling as a means of bringing in high dollars. The problem is the recession threw state budgets off– while money was stifled from coming in, expenses continued to soar. Unless Alabama is able to turn their economy around by using slots gambling, the state could continue to suffer financially. Without the gambling revenues, there are few other options to bring in the millions of dollars the state sorely needs.