GAMBLING FACTS & STATS

“Facts About Las Vegas”
(1996 statistics from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.)

A record 29.6 million travelers visted Las Vegas in 1996.
A nationwide survey by the U.S. Travel Industry Association found that 38% of all U.S. residents have been to Las Vegas in their lifetime. The average length of visitors’ stay in Las Vegas was almost 4 days (3.7).

87% of all people who visted Las Vegas in 1996 gambled.

Of people who gambled, the average gambling budget for the trip was $580.90., On average, those gamblers gamble 4 hours per day.

68% of the people who gamble play the slot machines most often.

The largest percentage of visitors to Las Vegas were in the age group of 65 and older (22%).

35% of the 1996 Las Vegas visitors had earned a high school diploma. 26% of the 1996 vistors graduated from college.

In 1996 there were over 100,000 hotel rooms (101,106) in the city of Las Vegas. New York City has 63, 279 hotel rooms.

During 1996, singer Wayne Newton celebrated his 25,000th Las Vegas performance. Siegfried and Roy performed their 15,000th Las Vegas Show.

In 1996 Las Vegas hosted 3,827 conventions and 112 trade shows.

On the Las Vegas strip in 1996 there were 40 casinos with a gross gaming revenue of at least $1 million for the year.
More Stats…

Two decades ago, 2 states had legal gambling and 48 states outlawed it. Today, 48 states have some form of legal gambling. Only Hawaii and Utah do not.
Over 60% of American adults gambled last year or over the past twelve months on some activity. Over 80% say that gambling is legitimate and casinos are okay.

Gambling generates more revenue than movies, spectator sports, theme parks, cruise ships and recorded music combined.

Las Vegas is the fastest growing city in the U.S. Players lose $6 billion a year at Las Vegas casinos.

The number of visitors to the new casino/entertainment complex, “New York, New York ” in the first two months of its opening equaled the visitor volume for all of Las Vegas. If it continues at this pace, by the end of the year there will be 30 million visitors to Las Vegas and 30 million to “New York, New York.”

Gambling has become a $40 billion dollar a year industry in the United States.

From 1974 to 1994–20 years–the amount of money Americans legally wagered has risen 2,800 percent, from $17 billion to $482 billion.

Experts outside the gambling industry estimate that people with gambling addictions account for about 5% of all players–but 25% of casino and state lottery profits.-

Gambling interests have contributed $4.5 million to political parties and candiates at the federal level since 1991.–Center for Public Integrity, 1996 report (NOTE: This number is dwarfed by the amount spent at the state-level, as FRONTLINE’s “Easy Money” report shows. Most of the laws regulating gambling are state laws.)

Mirage Resorts Inc., made Fortune magazine’s 1996 list of the 10 most admired companies. Steve Wynn, the company’s CEO, as of 1996 had a $1 billion dollar line of credit with Bank of America.

The California State Employee’s Retirement fund, U.S. Steel’s pension fund, and Harvard University’s endowment have all owned stock in gambling companies.

During Virgina’s 1995 legislative session, gambling interests hired 48 lobbyists. In Texas, they hired 74, more than two for every state Senator and one for every two members of the Texas House of Representatives.

A U.S. News & World Report computer analysis of 55 counties that got casinos between 1990 and 1992 found that the 4 percent increase in new businesses in these counties matched that for the rest of the nation, leading to the conclusion that gambling does not generate economic expansion in the areas in which it operates.

The fastest growing industry in the world is Indian gambling. There are 150 Indian casinos in the U.S. as of May 1997

Indian gaming is a $27 billion a year business in the U.S. (1997).

53 Crazy Laws

10 Surprising Facts About Retirement
Retirement might not live up to your expectations.

A senior man sits on a park bench.
From finances to aging, your golden years may not be so golden.

By Emily Brandon Feb. 17, 2015, at 9:00 a.m.
Most retirees are prepared for more free time and less stress, but some other aspects of retirement could be unexpected. Many retirees have significant financial worries and health concerns, and an excess of free time is only fun if you use it well. Here are 10 ways retirement might surprise you.

It can be difficult to spend down your savings. After decades of accumulating enough money to retire, it can be psychologically and emotionally challenging to spend down that money and watch your nest egg get smaller each year. “They are going to feel like they spent a lifetime accumulating this pile, and the idea of spending this down is just repulsive to them,” says Alicia Munnell, director of the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College and co-author of “Falling Short: The Coming Retirement Crisis and What to Do About It.” “For anyone who is retiring, I would give them permission to spend their money,” she says.

You still need investment growth. Saving enough to retire is not your final goal. You should also develop a plan to make that money last the rest of your life. “You need to understand how you can minimize your risk in the portfolio, but you also need a component of that strategy that gives you growth because you need to stay ahead of inflation and taxes,” says Laura Mattia, a certified financial planner and wealth management principal for Baron Financial Group in Fair Lawn, New Jersey.

Many retirees rely on Social Security. Social Security is a significant source of income for most retirees. Almost all retirees (86 percent) receive income from Social Security, and Social Security payments make up at least half of the retirement income of 65 percent of retirees and comprise 90 percent of retirement income for over a third (36 percent) of retirees. “Most seniors do not have much income other than Social Security,” says Nancy Altman, co-director of the Strengthen Social Security coalition and co-author of “Social Security Works! Why Social Security Isn’t Going Broke and How Expanding It Will Help Us All.” The average monthly retirement benefit was $1,282 in December 2014.

Medicare doesn’t cover everything. High medical care bills don’t go away once you qualify for Medicare. Although Medicare covers a large amount of the medical treatments older people need, there are several popular services that it doesn’t. For example, Medicare won’t cover routine eye exams, eyeglass, dental care or hearing aids. And Medicare only covers up to 100 days in a nursing home. Retirees who require additional long-term care will need to find another way to pay for it. And while many preventive care services are covered by Medicare with no cost-sharing requirements, if something concerning is found, additional tests and procedures will be considered diagnostic and copays and coinsurance are likely to apply. “You really need to understand what health benefits you can receive from Medicare and check how it will cover any ongoing health issues,” says Christopher Rhim, a certified financial planner for Green View Advisors in Norwich, Vermont.

You might spend a lot of time alone. Without a job to go to every day, you could find yourself spending an increasing amount of time alone. Some 44 percent of Americans ages 65 and older live alone, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. Unless you sign up for a volunteer position or make an effort to socialize on a regular basis, you could become bored and lonely.

Many retirees are dating. If you outlive your spouse or divorce, you might find yourself single again in retirement. While just over half (55 percent) of Americans age 65 and older are married, the rest are widowed (28 percent), divorced (12 percent), separated (1 percent) or never married (5 percent), according to census data. Some of these single seniors begin meeting new people and dating. There are a variety of online dating services that cater specifically to people over 50.

Moving can be difficult. As attractive as it sounds to move to the Sunbelt, most retirees don’t relocate for retirement. Only 5.7 percent of Americans age 65 and older moved to a new residence between 2009 and 2013, and the people who do move most often relocate to the same state and even the same county, the Census Bureau found. Only 1 percent of retirees moved to a new state, and just 0.3 percent went overseas. Relocating to a new community in retirement often means leaving behind family and a support system that can be difficult to rebuild in a new place.

You will need help from others. While the act of aging is an expected part of retirement, the loss of independence typically isn’t as welcome. There may come a time when you can’t drive, shovel your own walkway or climb on a chair to change a light bulb. You may even eventually need help with meals and bathing. Although the beginning of retirement is often full of fun and adventures, it’s also a good time to make contingency plans for later down the road when you might not be able to care for yourself.

Retirees watch a lot of TV. Retirees spend over half of their leisure time watching TV. Seniors ages 65 to 74 tune in for 3.92 hours on weekdays, and those 75 and older watch TV for an average of 4.15 hours each day, according to the 2013 American Time Use Survey by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

You won’t need to hurry. Compared to the overall population, retirees ages 65 to 74 spend extra time lingering over meals, working on home improvement or garden projects and shopping, the American Time Use Survey found. Retirees also spend more time reading, relaxing and volunteering than younger folks.

Marriage Laws

Presidents Day 2016 Trivia: 20 Facts About Washington, Lincoln And Other US Leaders
BY JULIA GLUM @SUPERJULIA ON 02/14/16 AT 7:16 PM
George Washington’s false teeth were not made of wood, as lore has it.

Monday is Presidents Day, but it’s more than just an excuse to skip work. It’s an observance honoring all 44 presidents of the United States, pinned to the birthdays of two of the greats: George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.

The Presidents Day tradition first began in 1800, the year after Washington died. People mourning the late leader celebrated his birthday, and in 1879 the holiday became official. It became a federal event in 1885 and was the first observance for a single individual, according to the History Channel. But the day wasn’t just for Washington for too long — by the 1960s, Congress was requesting the government add Lincoln to the annual festivities. (Washington and Lincoln were both born in February.) Today, people use it to remember all of the U.S. commander-in-chiefs.

Washington’s birthday was Feb. 22, 1732. He became president in 1789.

Lincoln’s birthday was Feb. 12, 1809. He became president in 1861.

Washington did have fake teeth, but they weren’t wooden, as lore has it. More likely, the teeth were made out of ivory.

The land where Washington was born is a national monument, while Lincoln’s cabin is a national historical park.

Lincoln’s national historical park has a building with 56 steps — one for each year he lived before being assassinated.

Warren G. Harding had size 14 feet.

Martin Van Buren is responsible for the popular use of the term “OK.”

Theodore Roosevelt had a ring with some of Lincoln’s hair inside it.

Washington didn’t want to be paid a salary for his work as president.

The first president to live part of his term in the White House was John Adams.

Washington had two spies.

Rutherford B. Hayes was wounded four times in battle during the Civil War.

James Madison attended Princeton University before it was called that; it was the College of New Jersey.

James Buchanan is the only president to not have a wife. Grover Cleveland started at the White House single but got married in office.

Lincoln was the first president to have a beard.

Two presidents have been impeached: Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton.

Franklin Roosevelt was the first president to ride in an airplane.

The infection that killed Zachary Taylor began after he ate a bunch of cherries.

Barack Obama has two dogs, Bo and Sunny. Bo has a brother named Rico.

Bill Clinton plays the saxophone.

ALZHEIMER’S

An estimated 5.3 million Americans of all ages have Alzheimer’s disease in 2015.

Of the 5.3 million Americans with Alzheimer’s, an estimated 5.1 million people are age 65 and older, and approximately 200,000 individuals are under age 65 (younger-onset Alzheimer’s).
Almost two-thirds of Americans with Alzheimer’s are women. Of the 5.1 million people age 65 and older with Alzheimer’s in the United States, 3.2 million are women and 1.9 million are men.
Although there are more non-Hispanic whites living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias than people of any other racial or ethnic group in the United States, older African-Americans and Hispanics are more likely than older whites to have Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.
The number of Americans with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias will grow each year as the size and proportion of the U.S. population age 65 and older continue to increase. By 2025, the number of people age 65 and older with Alzheimer’s disease is estimated to reach 7.1 million — a 40 percent increase from the 5.1 million age 65 and older affected in 2015. By 2050, the number of people age 65 and older with Alzheimer’s disease may nearly triple, from 5.1 million to a projected 13.8 million, barring the development of medical breakthroughs to prevent or cure the disease.

Top 5 Breast Implant Facts and The 1st Regret Women Have Afterward
By Tim Boyer G+
2013-02-28 14:21
Breast Implant Facts
Breast implants play an important role in quality of life issues for many women―especially for those in need of reconstruction after breast cancer surgery or trauma, to correct developmental defects, or to correct or improve the results of a previous surgery. For others, it is a strictly cosmetic issue in a society where bigger is better and where youth is associated with looking “perky.” Unfortunately however, regardless of the need for breast augmentation, “having a boob job done” even by a highly regarded and trained plastic surgeon remains fraught with complications aside from the common fear of leakage of a breast implant.
To help women make an informed consumer and medical decision regarding whether or not to have breast implant surgery, the FDA recently issued a ”5 Things to Know About Breast Implants” Consumer Update to act as a guide that forewarns not only what complications can occur, but what a woman needs to do to maintain her breast implants once she gets them.
The following is a summary of the FDA’s 5 must-know implant facts about breast implants before deciding on whether breast implants are the right choice for you, plus the No. 1 regret many women have after they realize that they can never go back.
Breast Implant Fact #1: Breast implants are not lifetime devices.
According to the FDA, the longer a woman carries breast implants, the greater are the chances that she will develop complications, some of which will require additional surgery to treat medical complications such as breast pain and atrophy, capsular contracture, extrusion of the implant through the skin or toxic shock syndrome. Cosmetic reasons for additional surgery include asymmetry, deflation, malposition, and unsatisfactory size and style.
“The life of these devices varies according to the individual,” says Gretchen Burns, a nurse consultant at FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH). “All women with implants will face additional surgeries—no one can tell them when.” While a few women have kept their original implants for 20-30 years, “that is not the common experience.”
Breast Implant Fact #2: You must do your breast implant research.
Approved breast implants come with a Summary of Safety and Effectiveness Data (SSED) for each implant that lists their characteristics and the types of fillers used whether it be a silicone gel or the relatively safer saline solution. Included in the SSEDs are information about the indications for use, risks, warnings, precautions, and studies associated with FDA’s approval of the breast implant as well as the frequency of serious complications found in a particular manufacture or implant type.
The FDA advises women considering breast implant surgery to ask their surgeon ahead of time for the latest product review before making a decision.
Breast Implant Fact #3: Communicate with the surgeon.
Surgeons must evaluate the shape, size, surface texture and placement of the implant and the incision site for each woman. As such, any information that you can provide about previous surgeries where excessive scarring may have occurred can help your surgeon decide how best to approach the surgery.
In addition, before committing to having breast implant surgery is the time to let your surgeon know what your desires are in an implant as well as your fears and concerns. Don’t wait until you are flat on your back on a gurney while being wheeled to the operating room.
Breast Implant Fact #4: Learn about long-term risks.

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Although breast implants are approved by the FDA as being considered generally safe, this does mean that they are necessarily risk-free. In some cases involving women with breast implants there have been associations with incidences of connective tissue diseases, lactation difficulties and reproductive problems. Furthermore, the FDA has identified a possible association between breast implants and the development of anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL), a rare type of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma not to be confused with breast cancer. Women who have breast implants may have a very small but increased risk of developing ALCL in the fluid or scar tissue surrounding the implant.
Breast Implant Fact #5: Implants are high maintenance and monitoring them is crucial.
According to the FDA women with breast implants should:
• promptly report any unusual signs or symptoms to their health care providers, and report any serious side effects to MedWatch, FDA’s safety information and adverse event reporting program.
• have MRI screenings when carrying silicone implants to detect silent ruptures three years after their surgery and every two years after that, which may not be covered by your medical health insurance provider
• continue to perform self-examinations and get mammograms to look for early signs of cancer. “Just because you have implants doesn’t mean you can ignore other breast health recommendations,” states Ms. Burns.
The No. 1 Regret Many Women Have Afterward
According to the FDA, as many as 20 percent (1 in every 5 women) who receive breast implants for augmentation wind up having to have their implants removed within 8 to 10 years due to complications.
The sad result of this is that for many women who choose to not continue to have their implants replaced after removal find much to their regret that there is no going back to the way the breasts used to look. Often times the natural breast is left looking unnatural with cosmetically undesirable dimpling, puckering, or sagging of their natural breasts that will require additional major cosmetic reconstructive surgery.