There is no doubt that 2009 was a terrible year for many businesses and many employees. The declining economy hit everyone right n the gut and has caused people to rethink their futures and plan more carefully for the next possible crash. The casino industry has fallen in the same way that the entire tourism has and left many companies to file for bankruptcy, close their doors and walk away.

In fact, some of the top Las Vegas Casinos saw a hit of nearly $6.8 billion in 2009 for a net loss. According to the Gaming Control Board of Las Vegas Gambling, this was the biggest hit over a fiscal year that they had ever witnessed throughout the state of Nevada. To put everything into context, the last major event that caused a lack of tourism and travel was that of the September 11th attacks that crippled many businesses in that year. Even with that tragedy, the las vegas casinos only lost $33 million in net for that fiscal year.

This proves to many that the state of the economy right now is dramatically different than previous years. The state of Nevada is still taking their share of taxes from the casinos as they rake in nearly $778 million in gambling taxes and fees. This past fiscal year saw the decline in month to month revenues in double digits in nine out of twelve months throughout the year. Gaming Control Board Chief, Frank Streshley stated, “The time period included the two most difficult periods ever experienced by the gaming industry.”

Clark County took the biggest hit on their casinos as there were 149 casinos which grossed over $1 million throughout the year, but had been responsible for $6.8 billion of the $19.2 billion in total annual revenues. These casinos had hopefully seen the last of the decline or at least are prepared to scale back in order to increase their profit margin and slowly gain back speed and customers for the casino industry.

With many casinos featuring slot machines these days it is difficult to stand out from the rest. Kerching casinos has managed to do it by building strong relationships with the slot manufacturers and creating many slots for their customers. This had made the casino one of the online hot spots throughout the United Kingdom.

They also have been able to capitalize on their strong relationships with the land-based casinos which help them find out the newest and most popular games that people want to play so that they can adapt them into the online form. Another aspect that keeps the players coming back for more is the ease of use for these slots. By making the games easier to understand, they are able to draw in a larger demographic to their slots world.

The online casino company was opened in 2007 and has created an easy to use interface for their customers by providing them with instant play rather than download versions. This creates a safe feeling for their players as they don’t have to bog their own computers down with software that might interfere with their productivity.

There are two methods of play which also draw in more customers to the online casinos. One is the cash for play version that allows players to use real money with the hopes that they will win big. The other type is a free play where players can learn more about the games, or merely play as a hobby without risking any of their hard earned cash. They also offer sign up bonuses for those who pay cash which is a great incentive to get people to sign up.

Progressive online jackpots are drawing in more customers everyday, and Kerching casino is offering the ability to play at five progressive online slots including some of the more popular ones like, Cleopatra, Cluedo, and Monopoly.

The Hollywood Resort and Casino in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi features the 291 guest room Hollywood Hotel, five restaurants that include Tuscany Steaks and Seafood and Jackpot Java, Mississippi’s online Arnold Palmer designed golf course (which is a nationally ranked golf course and a Top 40 casino course ranked by Golf Digest Magazine). The casino has over 1,200 slot machines, table games, a poker room, and a video poker bar. The Hollywood Resort and Casino has a pool with a cabana bar, meeting and banquet space, a martini bar, and rooms that look out over the marina, Jourdan River, Bridges Gold Course and the Bay of St. Louis. Like any other casino The Hollywood offers entertainment venues featuring acts like the Cirque Le Masque, and other headline acts. The Hollywood Resort and Casino also has one of the best RV parks in the United States!

Yes, you read that right. The Good Sam Club, which is the world’s largest RV owner’s association, has once again designated the Hollywood Casino RV Park one of the Top 100 Good Sam Parks. The ratings for the RV parks are a three pronged system that evaluate the Visual Appearance and environmental quality, the restrooms, and the RV park itself. Each of these three areas has ten items that are scrutinized on a 1 to 10 scale.

The 600 acre Hollywood Casino RV Park is the Gulf Coast’s only casino resort RV park. It has easy access to all of the amenities included with the Hollywood Casino Hotel. It even has door to door shuttle service to and from the casino. RV’ers can take advantage of most things their hotel staying friends enjoy such as 24 hour security, laundry, barbecue grills, cable TV’s and even free Wi-Fi internet access. Of course it is also a nice way to spend time outdoors and take advantage of the natural beauty of St. Louis Bay and the Gulf Coast. We all love the glitz that comes with most casino hotels. However, a casino RV park (especially one has highly regarded as the Hollywood Casino RV Park) would be a nice change in gaming vacations.

Casino Journal is one of the best, if not the best, publication that covers the North American casino and gambling industry. One of their most prestigious awards is the annual Executive of the Year. With so much emphasis placed on new technology, big payouts, and flashy games, sometimes the people behind the magic can get a little lost (although with their salaries I’m sure they don’t mind.) When it comes down to it, the executives are responsible for making sure casinos and casino resorts make money. They are ultimately responsible for customer satisfaction, growth of this company, and the employees who depend on the jobs created by the casino. (In this economic environment, that last one is very important.)

This year Virginia McDowell was chosen by Casino Journal to be the 2009 Gaming Executive of the Year. Ms. McDowell serves as the President and Chief Operating Officer of Isle of Capri Casinos Inc. Most who have traveled the south or are familiar with the regional casino scene in the United States, have heard, and probably visited, an Isle of Capri Casino. They are a very popular brand littered throughout the Gulf of Mexico region with some of their most popular casino hotels in Mississippi and Louisiana, as well as riverboat casinos in other markets.

Casino Journal takes pride in the Gaming Executive of the year award and finds there are many qualified candidates. However this year was different. “There are a lot of stellar executives in this industry, and every year this award presents us with some tough choices, but this year was easy,” stated publisher of Casino Journal, Charles Anderer. Casino Journal found that Ms. McDowell’s leadership of the Isle of Casino brand has seen it come through the rough economic conditions facing the country. She has seen a growth in revenue mostly due to a strengthening of capital position and consolidating its brands. Casino Journal also has taken notice of her outreach to the community and her status a role model (especially to women) in the field of leading publicly traded companies. With executives like Virginia McDowell, it is no wonder why the Isle of Capri casinos are one of the most popular regional casinos in the United States.

All right, we all know it. Bingo has been one of the world’s most popular gambling activities for decades. Its ease of play has been a favorite in church congregation halls, community centers, cruise ships and casinos. Its a favorite with sweet little old ladies and hip twenty-somethings alike. Most people, don’t even realize they are gambling. With the booming existence of online gambling and casinos, it was only natural that bingo play would follow its cousins into the online world. Online bingo sites have become sophisticated sites that offer varied types of bingo games and themes, multiple other forms of gambling games, and player reward programs. Some of them have also been able to keep up with mega jackpots found in the big time online casinos.

The Titan brand of online casinos that feature Titan Poker and Titian Casino, has just launched their own online bingo site. Titan Bingo at titanbingo.com is already offering fun to online bingo players, and paying out big jackpots. They are celebrating their launch by offering some special rewards and promotions. To start, They will be offering a deposit bonus for each deposit a player makes. This in itself will set Titan Bingo apart from other online bingo sites. For a limited time Titan Bingo is also offering a Sign Up Bonus of up to 500 percent on deposits. A player who deposits £20 can actually start play with £100! There will also be a VIP lounge and other fun ways to win prizes like magazine subscriptions and gift cards to Amazon.com

Titan Bingo knows that free money isn’t going to necessarily keep online bingo players and gamblers at their site. They will feature online chat so players can have the feel of community that is so often associated with bingo. The online bingo site is taken a lesson learned from the online casino sister sites and supporting a player rewards program, and of course, Titan Bingo will offer top notch customer support. Congratulations to the newest online gambling site from the Titan brand, Titian Bingo.

Even though online gambling is becoming a multimillion dollar a year business, successful through out Europe and Asia, and becoming more popular by the day, it is not an industry supported by the United States. Lawmakers have been afraid of the pitfalls of allowing legalized online gambling. They claim that they are trying to protect the consumer from the obvious crimes and scams that happen with most internet enterprises. Identity theft and fraud are much easier online and online casinos can be a prime target. Lawmakers also want to protect gamblers from themselves. Compulsive gambling can be as destructive as substance or alcohol abuse. Of course, some feel that lawmakers are also protecting their constituents. Who needs to go to Atlantic City when I can gamble in my living room?

However, steps are being taken to introduce bills in the federal government that would legalize online gambling. The United States has a history of learning that prohibitions don’t work. They have learned that controlling and regulating a controversial activity is a more effective way of protecting its citizens than banning it. They have also learned that tax revenue can be generated from these activities. Representative Barney Frank of Massachusetts has been one of the industry’s biggest supporters. He introduced the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection and Enforcement Act last year. Now he has some help.

Two senators co-sponsored the senate counterpart to Rep. Frank’s bill. Senators Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon, and Republican Judd Gregg of New Hampshire introduced the Bipartisan Tax Fairness and Simplification Act of 2010. This proposed legislation would help formulate ways for the federal government to legalize and, more importantly, regulate online casino and gambling activities within the United States.

The bills proposed in both house of the U.S. Congress would not only generate billions of dollars in revenue, (which maybe could help fund some form of health care) but would create a means to patrol the online gambling industry. The bill, though, would still keep the ban on sports betting.

The Stratosphere Hotel and Casino sits at the north end of the famed Las Vegas Strip. Its high rise, jewel shaped tower is a beacon for those who want to enjoy fine dining, thrill rides, picturesque views of the Nevada desert and, of course, gambling. The Stratosphere Hotel and Casino is also known for hosting special events, usually involving sporting events, to attract gambling enthusiasts into its casino. There have been boxing matches and poker and slot tournaments. During the NCAA, college basketball championship tournament, the Stratosphere will be hosting a March Madness event. This event will be showing televised games on big screen TV’s offering food specials, table games, and betting stations for the tournament.

With the new 2010 NASCAR season underway the Stratosphere Hotel and Casino is hosting a special the last weekend in February. The weekend will get under way with a charity poker tournament. The Dale Earnhardt Foundation Celebrity Poker Tournament will be held in the Stratosphere’s Theater of the Stars and be hosted by the racing legends eldest son, Kerry. NASCAR drivers are scheduled to make appearances during the tournament. There is a $150 entry fee or a $30 donation for spectators and the money collected will be donated to the foundation.

The Stratosphere Hotel and Casino will also be holding autograph sessions. NASCAR drivers scheduled include names like Bobby LaBonte, Morgan Shepard, Terry Cook, Dave Blaney, Regan Smith, Mike Bliss, and many others. The autograph session will be held on February 26 at 9:00 PM. Bobby LaBonte’s session will be from 7:30 to 8:30.

Other NASCAR events being held at the Stratosphere Hotel and Casino are as follows. Sprint Cup Series driver Max Papis’ GEICO Toyota Camry will be on display near Roxy’s Diner. Rudy’s Inc., a licensed NASCAR merchandise vendor will be selling merchandise. There will also be Coca-Cola Racing Simulators out in front of the Stratosphere, so racing fans can get a feel of what it’s like to sit behind the wheel of racing stock car.

Everyone who visits land based or online casinos are on the lookout for the bonuses and promotions the casinos offer. Promotions can be in the forms of tournaments, progressive jackpots, new or free games, free parking or hotel rooms, loyalty club points celebrity dealers, bonus spins or credits, deposit matches and many others. Online casinos have taken a special interest in offering their players bonuses. Since they don’t have the tangible attractions or the electricity of land based casinos they offer all kinds of extras, usually in the form of free plays or deposit matches.

The Zodiac Online Casino, which is one of the nineteen Casino Rewards network, was relaunched earlier this week. They offer most online casino activities such as blackjack video poker, video slots and roulette. With the relaunch of the online casino came bonuses to lure players back to their site. Most who are familiar with the Zodiac Online Casino know that one of its major gimmicks is to offer horoscope postings. These daily readings are usually tailored to casino goers, and adds an element of fun to the online gambling experience.

The Zodiac Online Casino is also offering a very generous deposit match bonus. For a limited time all new players who register and make a deposit at the Zodiac Online Casino will receive a staggering 2000 percent casino bonus on their first deposit. This means a deposit of $1 will give the player a chance to play $21 worth of games. Since the Zodiac Online Casino is known for being a low denomination gambling site, players will be able to stretch their fun farther than they ever have before. Don’t let this fool you, players are still winning major jackpots reaching into the thousands.

As if this wasn’t enough the Zodiac Online Casino is also offering a $100 bonus for a $100 second deposit. The Zodiac Online Casino is hoping the stars will be in your favor, and you will take advantage of one of the largest bonuses ever offered by an online casino.

We all know it. Casinos host specials, promotions, give-a-ways and tournaments to lure gamblers. This is especially true for online casinos. They don’t have the fancy resorts, pools, high flying acrobatic shows, celebrity restaurants, or high priced shops their land based cousins have. Online casinos need to constantly update their games and offer customers exciting promotions to keep and expand their player base. So if it seems that every month or every week, an online casino is offering a new promotion or tournament, it is probably true. These tournaments cover most aspects of online gambling from slots to poker to table games. Sometimes the prizes are cash jackpots, vacation packages, or entries into land based tournaments.

The Red Flush Online Casino has recently wrapped up its third series in the popular Slot Survivor Series. A player known as “SlotGenie” held of another player called “Barbie” and took home the grand prize. Well SlotGenie had his choice of an expenses paid African safari or the cash equivalent. SlotGenie chose the $14,000. Barbie may not have claimed the bragging rights, but she didn’t leave disappointed. As the runner up in a very close fight right to the very end Barbie won $5,000. The difference between the top two finishers and the rest of the field was great, but that didn’t stop the rest of the field of over twenty winners from walking away with some sort of cash prize.

The object of the Red Flush Online Casino’s Slot Survivor tournament is easy and not very unlike other online casino tournaments. Be the player at the end of the game with the most points. Even though the tournament is called Slot Survivor, it is not limited to slots. Tournament points can be accumulated by playing table games, parlor games or slots at Red Flush Online Casino based on how much they wager. Points can be earned for every $100 wagered or deposited, double points for playing on a Friday or Saturday and 100 points when playing for more than a four day consecutive days a week. Red Flush Online Casino’s Slot Survivor tournament has become s popular that plans are being worked out for the online casinos fourth version of the game.

Two online phenomena have become extremely popular over the past ten years or so, social networking, and online gambling. There have been many incarnations of the social networking fad. The internet has seen friendster, myspace, and the ever popular facebook and twitter become the communication of choice not only for tech savvy, hip kids, but for adults and even some professionals. Even those who are skeptical about online sites like facebook will admit to “just using it to get in touch with old friends.”

Likewise most people know about the online casino and gambling scene. What at one time was predominately slots, has moved into a sophisticated industry of poker rooms, table games, high tech slots, and online bingo. It is the online bingo that has really taken off. Bingo has been a popular form gambling for decades even though it hardly seems like gambling. Online bingo is just as popular.

One of the newest online bingo sites, Giggle Bingo, is also becoming one of the most popular. According to their website, gigglebingo.co.uk, “Giggle Bingo is the bingo that doesn’t take itself to seriously, but it’s not a joke!” They pride themselves on being the online bingo site that takes every opportunity to ‘laugh along with you as you play.’ They offer both 75-ball and 90-ball online bingo games. Of course Giggle Bingo also offers other games a player could find at a typical online casino like, slots, video poker, blackjack, and roulette.

Giggle Bingo has also taken advantage of the online social networking craze. Specifically they have had lots of fun with their customers on Twitter. Giggle Bingo’s Twitter voice, Olivia, has expressed several times how much she enjoys interacting with the online bingo site’s followers. “There has been a whole lot of fun had and we are going to continue to ensure that every Giggle Bingo player has had at least a couple of fantastic laughs with us,” she said.

Now Giggle bingo is looking to expand to facebook. They are developing apps for the online social networking site that allow the online bingo’s site followers to be more engaged. The want to give their players an open forum. Giggle Bingo is not only one of the hot new online bingo sites, but leading the charge in customer interaction