Kansas is going through some hard economic times these days, as is much of the American heartland. Ironically, these are the times when casinos look a lot more appealing to the folks in charge. The state of Kansas is awarding four casino licenses, and the Kansas Speedway is so intent on landing one that they’re willing to build a road course in the infield of their 1.5-mile tri-oval.

Kansas is currently the host of the LifeLock 400, formerly known as the “Banquet 400 presented by ConAgra Foods.” The speedway already announced two weeks ago that it wants a second NASCAR Sprint Cup race to add to the calendar as part of the casino push. The road course is apparently not related to that pursuit; instead, the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series is the speedway’s target.

The course will reportedly cost between $8 million and $10 million, compared to the proposals for a $700-million casino complex in Wyandotte County. Ka-ching.

Online games of chance have not been as popular as online poker. The majority of online players play poker, or other skill software like video games. But online casinos are becoming a better option for many gamblers now that the cost of living has seen so many increases in the last few years.

The online games of chance usually offer the player better odds than they’ll find in a live casino. You can find games like European Roulette or single deck blackjack easily online, games that would be nearly impossible to find unless you were in Vegas or Atlantic City.

With low costs, the online casinos can pay out at a higher rate than a regular casino can, passing the savings on to the players. When you add bonuses, huge progressive jackpots, and freebies, the online casinos become attractive to any gambler that wants an edge as they play.

A state report showed that the Nevada casino take is down 1.9% this June from last June. They still won $12.5 billion from gamblers; it’s just a bit less than what they made last year. The Vegas Strip’s revenues are down close to the same percentage, at 1.5% from 2007. The win came from a record $164.4 billion wagered last year.

This win is the amount of cash that’s left after winners get paid. It doesn’t include revenues from hotels, restaurants, or bars. The majority of the win came from the slots, with blackjack and baccarat in second and third, respectively.

This marks six straight months of decline compared to last year’s numbers. But the rate is not growing. In fact, May’s figures were worse, down 15.2% from May 2007. And let’s not forget that it’s profit that’s down slightly. The casinos are still raking it in, despite the downward trend.

At least that’s what Arelia Taveras is saying. The 37-year-old New Yorker (who now lives in Minnesota) had a successful career as a lawyer, a nice home, fancy clothes and an addiction to casino gambling that she feels is like being addicted to drugs.

“It’s like crack, only gambling is worse than crack because it’s mental,” said Taveras. “It creeps up on you, the impulse. It’s a sickness.”

After blowing her life savings and refinancing her house, she eventually lost her law practice, her apartment, her parents’ home, and she now owes the IRS $58,000. According to Taveras, much of the blame rests with the casinos so she’s suing them for $20 million.

“They knew I was going for days without eating or sleeping,” Taveras said. “I would pass out at the tables. They had a duty of care to me. Nobody in their right mind would gamble for four or five straight days without sleeping.”

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What do you make of this woman? Does she have a case or do you think she’s trying to milk money from the casinos to pay for her problems? Drop me a line!

A study out of Canada says that online gambling should be legalized and regulated so the money can be used to help problem gamers. The studies, conducted jointly by academics of the University of Western Ontario in Canada and the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, found that online gamblers wager more often than regular casino gamblers. Because they’re able to hide their activity easier, gambling can easily become part of their daily lives.

“When not seen as reserved solely as behavior for an outing or a special occasion, gambling is more likely to become a pernicious, insidiously integrated component of a consumer’s life.”

They also found that the industry is too big to attempt to stop it, so regulating it and using revenues to help problem gamers is the best choice at this point in time. And warning levels should be used after players lose a certain amount of money.

The world’s richest casinos are the Sands Group. Sheldon Anderson has made a billion-dollar fortune with casinos in Vegas, Atlantic City, and Macau. His casinos are worth over $15B, and he is worth over $26B, which makes him the third richest man in America. His casinos include the Venetian, Sands Macau, Venetian Macau, the Palazzo, Sands Bethworks, and Marina Bay Sands.

Anderson is able to stay ahead of the rest of the competition because of his superior knowledge of convention service. He won the coveted Singapore Gaming license last year, where he’ll build his $3.6B Marina Bay Sands.

Steve Wynn owns the other richest casinos. His properties included the Golden Nugget, The Mirage, Treasure Island, the Bellagio, the Wynn Macau, and the Wynn Las Vegas (above photo), but some have been sold to MGM Grand Inc. He’s worth $1.3B, not even close to what Anderson has accumulated in the casino business.

If you’re looking for a new online casino you should take some time to make sure you’re joining a reputable one. There are lots of watchdog sites that list all the online casinos and their histories. If they’ve had issues with customers in the past, you’ll be able to find out about it and stay away from the bad ones. OnlineCasinos.com is a good watchdog site that will tell you if you can trust a particular casino.

Try and choose a casino that has a good sign-up bonus. You can compare the bonuses that different sites have at Online Casinos Reviews Listing ; they update them often. You should be able to get re-load bonuses as well, and some type of VIP points reward system should be available. You should also choose a casino that meets your banking limitations. Different sites have different options, so find the one that’s right for you.

1. Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut comes in at number one simply because it’s the biggest casino in the world. Nearby attractions include the Hilltop Inn, shopping, the Mystic Seaport and Aquarium, golfing, and beaches.

2. The MGM Grand on the Vegas Strip is the premier place to gamble in Sin City. Spread over 170,000 square feet, it takes a while to see it all.

3. Fallsview Casino Resort in Niagara Falls, Ontario has over 3000 slots and a massive gaming floor. Not to mention all the local attractions around one of nature’s wonders.

4. Renaissance Aruba Resort and Casino has a great casino floor and all that a place like Aruba offers. Gamble and soak up the sun in this world-class destination.

5. The Wynn Macau is China’s most popular spot. The experience of China, plus all the best casino games.

Two years ago the world’s largest skill game site, king.com, jumped into the online bingo market. The new games were offered to VIP customers who were Royal Club members. They launched two bingo games, Classic Bingo and 90 Ball Bingo. That venture must have been a success, because they’re about to launch a full-fledged online casino.

This is a significant move because king.com has over 18 million people playing games on their site. With access to so many players, king.com has a massive base to promote their real money games. They easily could become a big player in the online casino industry with 18M players to entice over to the action.

Jackpots on king.com range from $2000 to $36,000 for different games. Tournament prizes can be cash and/or Jewels depending on your player status. The prizes will be awarded to the winners as a deposit directly into their accounts.

Heading to New Jersey to gamble will no longer be the only option for New Yorkers. The Catskills, the once popular summer destination of weekending New Yorkers, will be getting a big boost with the building of a $1B resort. It will include gambling, golf, shopping, a spa, a water park, and horse racing.

Developers have tried to get a casino in the Catskills for decades, but have never been able to acquire a license. After failed attempts with local native tribes, Louis Cappelli came up with the idea to buy out the old Empire Resort’s race track and incorporate it into a new mega resort.

The casino will have limited action with horse racing and video VLTs. It will not be a full-fledged casino, but the added attraction of some forms of gaming will surely make it a popular close getaway for many people.