Outside of Las Vegas, the casino close to home bets big on go-karts and water parks

Monday, September 9, 2024 9:08 PM
  • Jacob Passy, The Wall Street Journal

Local casinos are taking a page out of the classic Vegas playbook and building shiny attractions for the kids.

Story continues below

The idea: If the whole family has fun, Mom and Dad will spend more time and money on the casino floor. Regional and tribal casinos are investing hundreds of millions of dollars to develop children’s attractions like water parks, large arcades and go-kart tracks in response to an increasingly competitive landscape.

The stakes are high. Commercial gambling revenue continues to rise in most states where it is legal. But the growth in sports betting and online gambling is far outpacing that of traditional casinos, according to data from the American Gaming Association.