"It doesn’t look like we’re in a deep recession at the Chinook Winds tribal casino on the Oregon Coast. On a pleasant Friday afternoon, parking spaces are scarce outside. And inside, the large gaming floor is bustling.

One casino visitor from Portland who gave her name only as Lee surmises some patrons must be trying to turn unemployment checks into full time pay.

Lee: “It may be that thing where people are taking their last bucks and hoping they’ll get lucky. You know, how psychologically even though you shouldn’t, you do because you’re hoping for a change of luck, so it could be that.”

Another gambler, Steve Graham, of Mt. Vernon, Washington says crowds may still come. But he doubts the house is making out like it used to.

Steve Graham: “I know I’m a little more conscientious. I know I used to drop a hundred on a blackjack table – if I double my money, I quit -- and now it’s fifty. I just don’t spend the same amount of money on a lot of luxury things that I’d like to do.”

Tribal casinos now account for the majority of gambling jobs and receipts in the Northwest. Indian-owned casinos typically don’t publicize financial results. But interviews and anecdotal reports show the sector is by no means immune to the recession."

Get the Story:
Is Gambling A Recession-Resistant Industry? (Oregon Public Broadcasting 3/19)