2006 Profile of the American Casino Gambler

There is a great deal of information (some of it surprising) contained in the newly released 2006 "Profile of the American Casino Gambler," an annual survey by Harrah's Entertainment, which identifies average casino gamblers, who they are, what games they play and what parts of the country they come from.

Starting in 1993, Harrah's Entertainment began publishing a survey titled "Profile of the American Casino Gambler," the results of which are based on two independent nationwide studies.

For the most part, it's a self-serving report that identifies people who have visited casinos at least once during the year as more affluent, more educated and more likely to hold a white-collar job than the national average.

The statistics go on to demonstrate that Americans who gamble as opposed to those who don't represent a powerful demographic of consumers whose expendable income and lifestyle label them as prime advertising targets.

The most popular casino game is no shocker. Seventy-one percent of those surveyed chose slots and video poker, with the most popular denomination being quarter and 50-cent games (38 percent), followed by nickel and 10-cent games (19 percent).

The highest participation rates among Americans 21 and older came from cities in the western sector, topped by Sacramento-Stockton in California, which came in at 40 percent. Illinois moved up from fourth place in 2003 to third behind California and New York in 2005.