Study: Fewer Locals Gambling in Convenience, Grocery Stores

LAS VEGAS -- One in four Clark County residents who gamble play in convenience stores, grocery stores or gasoline stations, a study commissioned by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority said.

The LVCVA's 2003-2004 Clark County Residents Study, which includes a survey of leisure activities and gaming behavior conducted by GLS Research, said that number is down significantly from a similar study conducted in 2001-2002 when one in three gamblers played at those locations.

The study was released by the LVCVA this week. GLS Research, which has a contract to conduct in-depth visitor statistics and analysis for the LVCVA, has offices in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Moscow, Russia.

The results are based on interviews with 1,200 randomly selected Clark County residents and GLS said the survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.8 percent.

Anthony Curtis, who publishes the Las Vegas Advisor, a newsletter for visitors to Las Vegas, said the fact that the study shows that there are fewer players at convenience stores, grocery stores and gas stations now than two years ago is an indicator that locals are getting more savvy about their gambling.

"I've been into some stores and have seen (pay) schedules that were good," Curtis said. "I've seen some progressives in supermarkets that were literally positive, but those are few and far between. That sector tends to be very poor in terms of return percentages."

But Curtis concurred that 26 percent is still a substantial number of players on machines in those locales.

"They play because of the convenience of them being there," he said. "That's the reason those machines are there in the first place."

Curtis also said people tend to discount the value of their change.

"After making their purchase, they decide to take a shot at turning that change into some folding money," he said. "The opportunity to do it is what pushes them."

Of the 26 percent of residents who gamble in convenience stores, grocery stores or gas stations, an estimated 75 percent of them say they play there at least once or twice a month, with 21 percent saying they play twice a week or more.

The study also said men (31 percent) were more likely than women (22 percent) to say they have gambled at those locations, as were respondents with a high school education or less (30 percent) compared with college graduates (19 percent).

A similar percentage of Clark County residents gamble at local bars or restaurants, according to the study, with 28 percent saying they play at those locales.

The GLS report also noted other idiosyncrasies of Clark County residents as they related to gambling. Among them:

- Nearly three-quarters of surveyed residents who gamble characterize themselves as "light" or "very light" gamblers. About 22 percent of those surveyed believe they are "moderate" gamblers and and 5 percent say they are "heavy" or "somewhat heavy" gamblers.

- About 24 percent of those surveyed gamblers say they maintain casino credit. But about 64 percent say the are members of a casino slot club or players club.

- Among residents who gamble, 19 percent go to the Strip corridor most, while 29 percent go to the Boulder Strip or Green Valley, 13 percent gamble in North Las Vegas and 15 percent play in Summerlin. Only 4 percent of local gamblers cite downtown as their most frequent place to play.

- Based on gambling habits and amounts reported by survey respondents, the study estimated that local residents budget $3.26 billion a year to gamble. That compares with $2.84 billion in the 2001-02 study, $1.77 billion in 1999-2000, $1.33 billion in 1997-98, $1.4 billion in 1995-96, $772 million in 1993-94 and $853 million in 1991-92.

- Local residents like quarter slot machines the most (47 percent), followed by nickels (34 percent) and dollars (8 percent). About 9 percent prefer other denominations. Among those who play table games most often, 37 percent say their bets average $5, while 23 percent say their bets range from $6 to $10. Only 22 percent of table-game bettors cite average bets of more than $10.