Congratulations USA - 150,000 New Slot Machines Coming Your Way!

All over the USA states are debating whether to introduce or expand legal gambling. Many states are putting it to a vote this year. Many of these votes will fail despite the gambling industry spending 20 times more money on their pro-gambling campaigns than their opposition.
But even without further expansion gaming industry professionals attending this weeks Global Gaming Expo suggest that at least 150,000 new slot machines will be installed in US gaming venues and casinos by late 2007 increasing the total number of machines to 800,000.

One state alone, Pennslyvania has caught slot-mania and is set to introduce 61,000 machines into racinos (slots at racetracks) despite not yet having set up the state's gaming regulator.

Manufacturers are extremely happy with this article concluding with the following,

Whatever the momentary setbacks, they see few limits on the expansion of slot machine operations in the United States, especially in the near term.

Our colleagues in the United States are on the threshold of a problem of epidemic proportions.

We also cannot forget that cashed up manufacturers will keep looking for other markets and will put pressure on governments around the world, including Australia, to further expand the market for their product. This is especially true in countries like Australia where no matter what the price of a machine it will make money with machines currently priced at around $25,000 having no problem being sold and paying for themselves in a short period of time. (Victoria operators of course get their machines cheaper as they buy many more machines and operate in a duopoly.)

The gaming industry is going through a renaissance with international gambling expansion and legalisation, community acceptance, the thirst of governments for additional revenue, and new technologies.

There are however consequences and when you have winners you must have losers. Unfortunately those that lose are the community at large, and in particular those that become caught in the net of problem gambling.

GG