Creel Printing: Betting on Growth

ONE OF the most visible signs 
 of the economic turmoil this 
 country is experiencing can be seen in Las Vegas. America's capital of excess and debauchery, the casino strip, has experienced sobering realities. When money is short, so is the tolerance for fun and games.

According to an Associated Press report, north of one million fewer people visited Vegas casinos in 2008 than in 2007, a drop of 3.8 percent in foot traffic. One of the nation's favorite whipping boys, the downtrodden housing market, and its disastrous consequences, has been keenly felt in Sin City. A CNN report lists Las Vegas as having the second-highest rate of foreclosures (8.9 percent) in the nation among metropolitan cities last year. While home sales may be increasing, about two-thirds of the properties sold are bank owned.