Every year in August, the planets align just right and bring a visual
spectacle to people throughout the US. The Perseid Meteor Shower tonight
thrilled many spectators, some of which were drawn out of casinos to
see the show.
In August, casino gambling is interrupted every year when bettors who
want to see the sky light up leave the casino floor and head outdoors.
The Perseid Meteor Shower is one of the more popular occurrences because
people do not have to use telescopes to see the action.
NASA had predicted that the first shower could take place shortly after
10PM on the East Coast. The showers will then continue throughout the
night, all the way into Saturday. Sixty to one hundred meteors will be
seen per hour during the expected peak time between Thursday night and
Friday morning.
Mars, Saturn, and Venus will all be included in the Perseid Meteor
Shower in 2010. The three planets are not always involved in this event,
making this year's visuals even more special for those looking for
something out of the ordinary this weekend.
In Nevada, casino gambling will be put on hold by thousands of gamblers.
Nevada has one of the top sites in the country to see the metors in
past years. Rogers Spring in the Lake Mead Recreation Area will have
hoards of people checking in to see if the meteors show off in the area
like they have in the past.
Nevada casinos do not need anything these days taking gamblers away from
the slots and the tables. Las Vegas casinos have experienced sharp
revenue decline since the economic recession, and city officials have
been hoping that the World series of Poker attendance will help boost
business as the summer winds down.
"Tonight's meteor showers will give casino gamblers a nice break from
their slots," said Gaming Analyst Brad Dawkins. "Sometimes, gamblers can
get caught in a rut of sitting in front of the machines for hours. At
least the meteor showers will allow them time to re-energize."