Less Making Trip for Slot Machines

The bus drivers have seen the difference, as have the casinos. It seems that less and less people have been traveling to the Atlantic City casinos to play the slot machines, and are instead heading elsewhere, or no where at all.

For more than twenty years the busses have traveled from various locations around the tri-state area, bringing customers from wherever they live to the AC casinos. They usually get some sort of package deal that includes bus ride, perhaps a meal, and quarters for the slot machines. The slot machines are traditionally the thing that draws them in.

However, with Pennsylvania and New York having their own slot machines now, less people are choosing to make the trip down to AC when they can simply go somewhere closer. Those that are still making the trip are far and few between, as it just isn’t as convenient as going somewhere in their own backyard.

Then there is the issue of the economy. More people are saving instead of slot machine gambling, as they don’t know what the new year is going to bring. They have mortgages and taxes, and all other kinds of expenses to deal with, and slot machines are not high on the list.

There is also the issue that it is the holiday season, which is notorious for causing a drop in customers. However, that drop has more than doubled this year according to the casinos. They say that they normally see somewhere around a 20% decrease in customers this time of year, but this year it has been more than 40%.

Given that the bus traffic brings in around 15% of their income, it is no wonder that AC casinos have made less money than the previous year. It is also due to the fact that there is more competition for the slot machine dollar, which is not helping their bottom line.

 

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