It just may be the sound of the slots, or the luck of the draw that's causing locals and tourists to spend billions at the casino. Or maybe it’s something even more basic, according to gaming expert Randolph Baker.
Baker : Others take chances on the stock market, some people take chances on walks through urban pollution, there are many ways to take a chance. Humans need that sense of excitement, that sense of sparkle and gambling is that sense to some people.
If that's true, Californians , and especially San Diegans, can be counted among the biggest risk takers in the country.
Here's a look at some of the stats.
There are 62,000 slot machines in the state, about a fifth of those here in San Diego county. There are 57 Indian casinos in California, 10 here in the county. That's more than any other county in the country.
Baker says the county leads the way in Indian gaming for two reasons.
Baker : One is the legalization of Indian gaming and of course most people don't know this, but San Diego county has more native American reservations than any other county in the United States.
All jurisdictions across the nation saw an increase in gaming over the year before, but the rate of growth was lower compared to past years. Here in California growth was 10 percent, half of what it was in 2005. Experts say market saturation is likely the cause of the slow down.
So just who are the winners and losers in this multi-billion dollar industry? That all depends on your point of view. Among the winners -- the state. It's now voting on a proposal that would garner up to 25 percent of net gaming revenues. The rest of the money goes to the reservation.
And the gambler -- well, according to the Los Angeles study: Californians were the second biggest losers in the country, with Nevada at number one.
And there could be more slot machines on their way to California. 22,000 more. Today, the Senate approved modifications to the compacts negotiated between the state and the Indian owned casinos. In exchange for a percentage of the gambling revenue, the casinos will be allowed to operate more slots.
