"It isn't rough economic times that test the resilience of Las Vegas," stated Dawes in a recent interview, "It's actually the casinos and shows themselves that come to town. If they're not top quality acts, or first rate casinos, people just go elsewhere. It's all about bang-for-thebuck in Las Vegas."

 

Dawes believes much of the allure of Las Vegas style entertainment is the fantasy land appeal of winning big at casinos, or treating oneself to a great concert or stage performance. "These two elements are intertwined, and in many ways it's surprising Vegas didn't catch on to the idea of bringing acts to town earlier."

 

Still, as budgets become stretched, and people can't afford to travel, they look for fantasy land elsewhere. "If Las Vegas was convenient for everyone, it would be the busiest city in the world. But, since so much of Vegas relies of convenience of travel and disposable income, people are now trying to find more cost effective, local entertainment options. Sometimes, that means using the Internet from the comfort of their own home in lieu of making a big trip."

 

Indeed, Dawes is correct on this point: Despite anti-online gambling legislation in the USA, millions still flock to online casino websites simply because they're easy to find and don't involve packing a bag for a week. "One can go online and gamble in minutes," stated Dawes, "And this means that as people travel less and stay at home, home based gambling and entertainment expenses will rise. Thus, the bad economy, while on one hand hurting pocket books, on the other it pushes people to spend what money they do have on other leisure activities."

 

Dawes spoke more specifically about casino gaming, stating that people like the internet because its anonymous and very convenient. "If I want to play roulette online, I just sit down with my lap top and credit card and can kill time for a couple hours. Others prefer online blackjack, and that's just as easy to find: the brilliance of online casinos is that they are not limited by physical space; that is, in the cyber gaming world, there are hundreds more games to play than in a traditional land based casino."

 

In the end, Dawes does conceed that travel to Las Vegas will pick up again once people have more time and money on hand. "I'm not saying Vegas is old news, just that for now, people's gaming dollars are going to the internet instead. Nothing substitutes the atmosphere of a live casino or thrill of watching a favorite musician perform, and for these very reasons, Vegas will very much remain a fixture for tourism in the years to come."