Vegas Online?
Vegas Online? Billy Gatlin walks down the Las Vegas Strip the week after Christmas and he remembers when the streets were filled with people. He is sixty two now, but Gatlin has been in Las Vegas for forty two years and has seen the city go through thick and thin times.

This time is different, he insists. "Back twenty years ago, this city did not care what was happening with the economy. Now, look around (pointing at a near empty parking lot), Las Vegas is stuggling, and the casinos may not make it through this time," he said.

While Gatlin has his skepticism, there is an area that people that have been around these casinos point to for hope. For the first time, Las Vegas casinos are actually hoping that something is done about the Internet gambling laws in the US.

"If we had the outlet to take our product online, it would make up for the revenue that we are losing from people not being able to get to Las Vegas. In the past, we wanted no part of Internet gambling, but now it may be that putting our casino online could be a way of survival," said a manager of a well known Las Vegas casino who spoke to us on the condition of anonymity.

The new administration is expected to take steps towards overturning the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, which is trying to keep Internet gambling out of the US. With many online casinos having already pulled out of the US market, the door is open for land based casinos to take control of the industry should it become regulated.

The US government would most likely license existing casinos to run their operations online before they went to any foreign based online sites. That would open the door for some of the biggest land based casino owners to make their move to the online market.

Before any of that can become reality, the government must first undo the UIGEA, and if they do, Gatlin will be ready. "I grew up around these casinos, if their going online means the Strip will be saved, then I'm all for it." It may not be the Las Vegas Gatlin grew up with, but it's better than no Las Vegas at all.

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