Gambling revenues on the Strip are up this year - way up in recent weeks. Despite higher energy prices, a volatile stock market, a slumping housing market and fears the economy may be heading into a recession, some of the city's largest casinos are on pace for a record-setting year. In October alone, gambling revenues on the Las Vegas Strip were up 19.8 percent over the comparable month last year.

In Las Vegas, one extra factor has been a booming Chinese economy, as wealthy Asian players are risking - and losing - money in record numbers inside the city's most exclusive V.I.P. lounges.

The whole industry enjoys one advantage over its counterparts among discretionary spending activities: the propensity of people to gamble despite harder times, or perhaps because of them.