November 1
In Rhode
Island, online casino players and
land-casino gamblers alike, are learning
that the state's thriving casino gambling
industry is showing its first signs of a
slow period.
For several
years, slot machines at Lincoln Park and
Newport Grand have seen double-digit growth.
But now -- while the machines are still
extremely profitable -- they are not
producing the same boom, and that could have
grave ramifications for the state.
The 2005 state
budget is based on the assumption that
slot-machine revenue would increase by 15.3
percent. However, data presented yesterday
by the Rhode Island Lottery show that since
the start of the fiscal year on July 1,
there has been only a 4.2-percent bump.
As this time,
the slot revenue is a whopping $5.7 million
short of expectations, and revenue from
other places. This comes as a big surprise
to many online casino players.
