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GAMBLERS RICHER, SMARTER

The stereotypical casino customer is a down-and-out retiree who whiles away the hours puffing on cigarettes and feeding nickels to a one-armed bandit, right?

Not really. Today’s typical gambler is in fact middle-aged, college-educated and about 16 percent richer than the average American, says the Washington, D.C.-based American Gaming Association.

According to a 2003 study by Harrah’s Entertainment/NFO WorldGroup, the median age of U.S. casino gamblers is 48. The median household income among these gamblers is $53,204 a year, versus $45,781 for the population at large. And they are more likely to have attended college (55 percent versus 52 percent).