Bill's Casinos in Stateline Nevada has temporarily had to lay off all of their dealers. What this means is that they will have to make due with slot machines and video card games. These types of machines are usually more profitable to the casinos. the hopes are this move will help them keep the doors open until business picks up again and they can hire the dealers back.

"It's more a function of the overall economy right now," according to Gary Thompson, a spokesman for the casinos parent company Harrah's Entertainment Inc. he also said that even though people are still visiting the lack they are just not spend like they normally do.

It seems that even though experts have said that the economy and the outrages prices of gas could affect tourism, but local Lake Tahoe hotels are showing occupancy rates as much as 5% higher then this time last year.

Gamming Consultant Ken Adams of Reno said that it is not a good sign when a casino in Lake Tahoe has to lay off so many people in the height or tourist season. This just shows how bad things really are.

But according to Adams, it is not just the bad economy that is hurting business at Bill's casino, named after founder Bill Harrah. It is also the fact that the casino is only 18,000 square feet, and is trying to compete with other Tahoe casinos that have 55,000 and 137,000 square feet.

The Tahoe casinos are in direct competition with several very large Indian casinos in the North of California and another big one will be opening in the Fall.

Two of the big casinos in Lake Tahoe have already filed for bankruptcy.