Survey Shows State Gamblers Averaged 4.2 Casino Trips Last Year and that
Gaming Enthusiasts are More Politically Active than Non-Gamblers
LAS VEGAS, Oct. 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- As the debate over expanded
casino gambling continues in Florida, a nationwide survey of casino gamblers
released today reveals that 2.1 million Florida adults gambled at a casino
last year. The survey also reports casino gamblers are more politically
active than non-gamblers.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20021220/LAF055LOGO )
"Profile of the American Casino Gambler: Harrah's Survey 2004," available
in its entirety at http://www.harrahs.com, reports Florida gamblers averaged
4.2 trips to in-state and out-of-state casinos during the past 12 months. It
also demonstrates that casino gamblers nationwide were more likely than non-
gamblers to contribute money to a political candidate or cause (26 percent vs.
19 percent) and to sign a petition in support of a political candidate or
cause (51 percent vs. 42 percent) in the past four years. In no category of
political activism were non-gamblers shown to be more engaged than casino
gamblers.
Eighty percent of casino gamblers who participated in the study said they
"definitely" will vote in November's presidential election, compared to 77
percent of non-gamblers.
The most popular places for Floridians to gamble were cruise ships, in-
state Indian casinos, the Gulf Coast of Mississippi and Las Vegas. All told,
Florida gamblers made nearly 9 million casino visits in 2003, according to the
survey. "Profile of the American Casino Gambler," commissioned by Harrah's
Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: HET), shows that 569,000 casino gamblers in the
Miami DMA (Designated Market Area), which includes Ft. Lauderdale, accounted
for roughly 1.87 million casino trips. Cruise ships, Florida Indian and Las
Vegas casino destinations were the most popular among Miami gamblers.
The 487,000 casino gamblers in the Orlando DMA, which includes Daytona
Beach and Melbourne, generated more than 1.3 million trips, or an average of
2.8 trips per year. Cruise ships, the Gulf Coast of Mississippi and Las Vegas
were the most popular destinations for Orlando-area gamblers.
The 444,000 gamblers in the Tampa DMA, which includes St. Petersburg and
Sarasota, generated more than 1.4 million casino trips in 2003, or an average
of 3.3 trips per gambler. Again, cruise ships, Florida Indian casinos, the
Gulf Coast of Mississippi and Las Vegas were the most popular destinations for
Tampa-area gamblers.
"The demand for casino gambling among Floridians is undeniable, yet these
individuals are limited in their freedom to play casino games within the
state," said Gary Loveman, Harrah's president and chief executive officer.
"The restrictions on casino gambling force residents to spend significant
portions of their gambling budgets elsewhere, resulting in the loss of a broad
range of employment, capital investment and other economic benefits."
"Profile of the American Casino Gambler: Harrah's Survey 2004" is based on
three studies: the National Profile Study and the U.S. Gaming Panel, both
conducted by TNS NFO on a nationwide basis; and a special section devoted to
poker is based on a survey of amateur and professional poker players at the
2004 World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, conducted by the marketing research
department at Harrah's Entertainment.
The survey reports that Florida's casino participation rate - the
percentage of residents 21 years of age and older who visited a casino in the
past 12 months - is 17 percent. The casino participation rate for the Miami
DMA is 19 percent. The Orlando DMA posts a casino participation rate of 21
percent, and the Tampa DMA's participation rate is 15 percent. The national
average is 26 percent.
In 2003, 53.4 million Americans gambled at a casino. Gamblers made 310
million casino trips, with the average player visiting a casino about once
every two months.
SURVEY HIGHLIGHTS
Player Demographics
-- The median household income of U.S. casino gamblers ($53,204) is
16 percent higher than that of non-gamblers ($45,781).
-- Americans in upper income brackets have the highest casino gambling
participation rates (percentage of adults who gambled at least once
in a casino during the past 12 months), and those in the lowest
income brackets have the lowest casino participation rates. Nearly a
third (32 percent) of individuals with household incomes of more than
$95,000 gambled in a casino in 2003, while only 20 percent of those
with annual incomes of less than $35,000 gambled in a casino.
-- More than three-quarters of casino players own their homes, compared
to 71 percent of non-gamblers.
-- The typical casino player is about the same age as the typical
American: The median age of casino gamblers is 48 vs. 46 for the
adult U.S. population.
-- The age bracket with the highest casino participation rate is the
empty nester years of 51 to 65 (29 percent).
-- Casino players are more likely than the national average to hold
white-collar jobs - 44 percent vs. 41 percent.
Money Management
-- Gamblers are more likely than non-gamblers to have a variety of
common investments, including savings accounts, life insurance,
retirement/pension plans, mutual funds, stocks, real estate, money
market accounts, certificates of deposit, bonds and annuities.
-- Gamblers are more likely to be comfortable with their financial
standing as they age, whereas non-gamblers are more likely to worry
they will not have adequate funds for retirement.
-- When making financial and investment decisions, gamblers are more
inclined than non-gamblers to seek expert advice and reference a
broad array of resources.
-- If presented with a large sum of money, gamblers are more likely to
save or invest it, while non-gamblers are more inclined to use the
money to pay off debt.
Lifestyle - Vacation and Entertainment
-- Two out of three casino gamblers take at least one long vacation trip
per year, while less than half of non-gamblers do.
-- Casino gamblers like to travel in style and are more likely than
non-gamblers to book upscale accommodations when they vacation.
Games of Choice
-- Slot/video poker machines are the most popular game among both men
and women, with 66 percent of male and 81 percent of female gamblers
reporting they play electronic gaming machines most often.
-- Men prefer table games by a margin of more than two-to-one over women
(20 percent to 8 percent), with blackjack/21 the single most popular
table game.
-- Younger adults are most likely to play table games, with 18 percent
of 21 to 35-year-olds reporting they play table games most often.
Where Casino Players Live
-- Eight of the 20 most populous Designated Market Areas (DMAs) in the
U.S. have casino participation rates that are equal to or less than
the national average of 26 percent (Dallas/Ft. Worth; Washington,
D.C.; Atlanta; Houston; Miami/Ft. Lauderdale; Tampa/St.
Petersburg/Sarasota; Cleveland; Orlando/Daytona Beach/Melbourne)
-- Sixteen of 24 states in the South and the North East census regions
had casino participation rates below the national average.
World Series of Poker Survey Highlights
-- Thirteen percent of professionals and 9 percent of amateurs are most
annoyed with players who are abusive toward or argue with the dealer.
-- Eight percent of professionals and 10 percent of amateurs are most
put off by bad attitudes and poor losers.
-- Six percent of professionals and 5 percent of amateurs are most
bothered by bad language at the table.
-- No Limit Texas Hold 'Em is the favorite game among both professionals
and amateurs.
-- Professionals have played poker for an average of 24 years; amateurs
have been playing for an average of 23 years.
-- Ninety-five percent of professional players are men; 98 percent of
amateur players are men.
-- Obviously, money is the primary reason professionals play poker, but
41 percent of amateurs also say they play for the money. Thirty-two
percent of professionals and 39 percent of amateurs say they play for
the challenge.
-- More than half of World Series of Poker players enjoy playing other
table games at the casino. About a quarter also play slots and place
bets in the sports book.
-- Professional and amateur players consider Howard Lederer the best
Limit poker player in the world; they consider T.J. Cloutier the best
No Limit player in the world.
-- Professionals believe tournament play is 66 percent skill and
34 percent luck; amateurs believe tournament play is 65 percent skill
and 35 percent luck.
Various subsidiaries of Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. own or manage 28
casinos in the United States, primarily under the Harrah's brand name. Founded
67 years ago, Harrah's Entertainment is focused on building loyalty and value
with its valued customers through a unique combination of great service,
excellent products, unsurpassed distribution, operational excellence and
technology leadership. More information about Harrah's is available at
http://www.harrahs.com.
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