$4 gas prices forcing gamblers to stay close to home?

Howard Stutz at the Las Vegas Review Journal has my job! He writes a weekly column about the gaming industry.

Here's a little bit of today's Inside Gaming column:

No surprise, but gasoline prices of more than $4 a gallon don't bode well for regional casino markets. Deutsche Bank gaming analyst Andrew Zarnett said Atlantic City would suffer as gamblers stay close to home.

"Consumers will choose the convenience of Pennsylvania casinos over Atlantic City amenities," he said.

Potential casino patrons are spending more for necessities, such as gasoline and food, leaving fewer dollars for discretionary activities, including gambling.

Zarnett said casinos in Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana and Missouri are experiencing declines in visitation. Here's a little bit of today's Read more.

I made the rounds in Vegas this past May and all the talk among the employees in the pits was how its business was...well, in the pits.

Whether or not we're in a recession is a debate best left to the wonks on Meet The Press, but when people are paying $4 for a gallon of gas? Something's got to give.