'Do not wait' to visit Las Vegas

2008-04-08 17:06:00

Gamblers who hope to one day visit the bright lights of Las Vegas should go as a soon as they can, a journalist has suggested.

Chris Ayres said in an article in the Times that people should head-off to the Nevada city "sooner rather than later" because there may not be anything left to enjoy in a few years.

His statement was made in reference to problems in the world's financial markets, which he implied would likely hit Las Vegas hard because it no longer concentrates on gambling like it used to.

However, Mr Ayres did say there was an "upside" to the current situation.

"The place is a lot more fun than it used to be," he remarked. "There's less traffic, the restaurants are less crowded and you can actually get some elbow room at the blackjack tables."

Analyst Lawrence Klatzin of Jefferies & Co did not appear to have as pessimistic a view of Las Vegas when he spoke to FoxBusiness earlier this week. The expert said people are justifiably concerned, but that big-spending high-rollers are unlikely to be affected by problems with the economy.