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Mississippi Falls To Fifth In United States Gambling Destinations

Indiana And Pennsylvania Move Into The Top Five

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The Beau Rivage in Biloxi, MississippiIt wasn’t too long ago that Mississippi was the third most frequented gambling destination in the United States behind New Jersey and Nevada. Now, the once-popular gaming state has dropped to fifth behind Indiana and newcomer Pennsylvania.

The entire casino industry has been hit hard by the recession, but casino-friendly cities in Mississippi such as Biloxi, Tunica and Vicksburg have also had to deal with nearby competition and still haven’t completely recovered from the several-month shutdown following Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Overall, gambling earnings are down roughly 9 percent for August compared to the same month in 2010, when casinos took in $201.7 million. This year, that number dropped to $185.1 million.

The state must also factor this drop in revenue into their yearly budget, because gambling taxes make up roughly 3 percent of their take. New properties in Louisiana, Missouri, Florida and even Arkansas have been making up a good chunk of the competition.