Gambling Dollars Wagered By Country

Maybe you, like me,  have always thought that because Americans had all the money in the world ( I know we don't anymore - but you know what I mean) that we would therefore have the most money to burn and it would follow that we would probably gamble more than other countries. Turns out that, when it comes to gambling, compared to the other countries of the world, Americans are rather low on the loser scale. While that may be surprising, you might be shocked when you find out who's atop the gambling heap of countries that drop the most money on gambling.

People are afraid to lose money and an unusual study released on Monday explains why

the brain's fear center controls the response to a gamble study of two women with brain lesions that made them unafraid to lose on a gamble showed the amygdala, the brain's fear center, activates at the very thought of losing money.

The finding, reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, offers insight into economic behavior and suggests that humans evolved to be cautious about the prospects of losing food or other valued possessions.

Arizona gaming revenue to state down in 4Q of 2009

PHOENIX - The recession continues to take its toll on reservation gaming, affecting not just the tribes but the state programs that share in the profits.

New figures Monday from the Arizona Gaming Department show revenue sharing by the tribes for the last quarter of 2009 was just slightly more than $11.1 million. That compares to $12.8 million in the same period a year earlier - and $15.2 million the year before that.

State Gaming Director Mark Brnovich said the numbers appear to be consistent with what is happening elsewhere in the country.