With the gambling industry in a nationwide decline, gambling cruise ships are gasping to “buoy” themselves. Port Canaveral in Florida is an example of an established gaming port that some in the industry are courting in hopes of keeping business afloat.
Cruise line officials want to relocate to gambling ports because of mounting competition from land-based tribal casinos and a shrinking consumer dollar, Florida Today reported. This is despite the fact that some forecasters are already speaking about the eventual doom for port gambling as well.
Chad Hills, analyst for gambling research and policy at Focus on the Family Action, said gambling entities are desperate for business and established port communities – like Port Canaveral and others – should be wary of the lengths to which gambling corporations will go to survive.
"As gambling further invades these areas to sustain their profits, it acts much like a black hole that drains money out the local economies, takes customers and revenue away from local businesses and causes a net economic drain on surrounding communities," he said. "The flagging economic status of the industry does not mean that the threats it poses are on the decline. Much the opposite – it will do all it can to sustain itself.”
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