as Vegas in Nevada and Atlantic City in New Jersey are both being hit hard by the recession. Atlantic City casinos are reporting drops revenues as high as 15% compared to this same time last year. In Vegas, major hotels are seeing fewer visitors, even though the average room rate has been reduced nearly 30% during the last year. Vegas casinos are also reporting lower profits, and the massive gambling expositions are drawing smaller crowds.

The numbers don’t seem so different, but in this business, even changes this small can be deal-breakers. Back in December, the Oasis closed down, and at this rate, more closures could occur before the year is out. And even considering these statistics, Vegas and Atlantic City seem to be doing better than smaller US gambling destinations.

Interestingly, online gambling in the US has not taken such a significant hit. This might be due to the fact that online gambling saves money, since players don’t have to pay for any travel or accommodation expenses to enjoy real-money casino games and large-scale tournaments on games like blackjack, poker, and slots. Even though the US Government has shown some reluctance in the past to open up to online gambling, there seems to be change on the horizon.

Numbers are up across the board for major online gambling firms, and as people like Barney Frank and groups like iMEGA wage war against the UIGEA, the return of internet gambling in the US seems imminent. If and when the UGIEA is overturned, we expect to see a massive growth spurt in the US online gaming industry. What this means for towns like Vegas and Atlantic City remains to be seen.

As the battle against current internet gambling laws in the US wage on, a few casinos stand strong, and continue to offer real-money blackjack and other casino games to US players. To get a comprehensive overview of what’s available, US players are encouraged to read our exclusive reviews before signing up.