Not surprisingly, the downturn in the economy has had an impact on casinos, particularly in Atlantic City and Las Vegas, long considered gambling headquarters for much of the country, with news just this past week that still another New Jersey casino may close. That will make four just this year. The city’s 11 casinos provide one-quarter of the 13,500 jobs there. Atlantic City’s first casino opened in 1978, and all of them went gangbusters for decades, until the past few years when many would-be gamblers turned their backs on them. Many folks in our own area routinely made regular weekend or overnight trips to the New Jersey and Connecticut casinos for a few hours of entertainment — and hopefully to come home with money in their pockets — but interest appears to have waned somewhat, and shifted to other places closer to home.

In Las Vegas, the downturn in the economy has left its casinos struggling. Each casino is different, naturally; some do better than others, but overall revenues have dropped, just as they have in Atlantic City.

We hope we’re safe in saying that part of the reason for the decline in casino revenues in both places is that folks have learned to be more careful how they spend their money, in many cases because they just don’t have any extra to spend. With unemployment still high and large numbers of under-employed forced to accept lower-paying jobs, many families are struggling just to put food on the table and clothes on their backs.

That’s not to say that Americans have totally lost their taste for gambling. Here in Maine, long trips to Atlantic City, Connecticut or Vegas have been replaced by shorter trips to Hollywood Casino in Bangor or Oxford Casino. The same is true in other states. With more and more casinos opening all across the country, the major casino centers have lost much of their draw. Some of the companies now operating in these cities are, in fact, still looking to expand, only to other states.

MGM is reportedly considering a new $925 million casino in Maryland, south of Washington, and applications have been filed in numerous other states. Interest continues in the opening of still more Maine casinos, which indicates that gambling is far from dead. We do believe, though, that less money is being risked in casinos today than it was 10 or 20 years ago, both because we’re a whole lot smarter now and because we have fewer dollars to risk.

While Maine’s unemployment is at its lowest in five or six years, and our economy may be making a slow comeback, the loss of jobs has taken its toll, and we’re a whole lot more wary about what tomorrow may bring. Casinos aren’t the only form of entertainment to feel the pinch; pricey sporting events, concerts, etc. also are carefully scrutinized before coughing up the dough. If the poor economy has a positive side, it’s taught us to be a whole lot wiser with our money.