Inside Asian Gaming

October 2008 | INSIDE ASIAN GAMING 41 airport is also becoming for the most part a machine facility with poker tournaments. In April of this year, Harrah’s and HIT parted company. Harrah’s exercised wisdom in passing on an opportunity to compete with the new Venice. While HIT views their failed effort to work with Harrah’s as not without benefits. HIT realizes that the entire scenario has resulted in energizing their primary competitor. But the plan certainly has brought attention to the very credible casino gaming offerings of Slovenia. If Europe needed a megaresort casino, the location might have qualified in the minds of some. But the time certainly was not the right time for the project. Slovenia is home to the most active gambling industry of the independent states of the former Yugoslavia. The region is surrounded by ample populations for good markets. The city of Nova Gorica is only an hour from Alpine ski resorts to the north and sandy Mediterranean beaches to the south, with vineyards, exotic caves and historic monasteries in between. However, the region also possesses a political heritage of caution and skepticism about casinos, as well as some competitive forces that would not have welcomed major expansion with open arms. By William N. Thompson. Reprinted with permission from International Gaming and Wagering Business (IGWB) magazine. Mr Thompson is a professor in the Department of Public Administration of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He has taught and written extensively on politics, government policy and gaming and gaming regulation. He can be contacted at: wthompson@ccmail. nevada.edu. Slovenia is home to the most active gambling industry of the independent states of the former Yugoslavia. The region is surrounded by ample populations for good markets. The city of Nova Gorica is only an hour from Alpine ski resorts to the north and sandy Mediterranean beaches to the south, with vineyards, exotic caves and historic monasteries in between. However, the region also possesses a political heritage of caution and skepticism about casinos, as well as some competitive forces that would not have welcomed major expansion with open arms.