New hotel towers are rising, and job ads are posted. “They shrank disproportionately to the rest of the economy.”īut now, the lights are flashing a bit brighter. “If you have to put a meal on your table or go gambling, most of us would choose to feed our families,” said Carl Winston, director of the hospitality and tourism management program at San Diego State University.

It’s because gambling is the most discretionary of spending - you’ll probably only risk your money if you can afford to lose. San Diego County’s Indian casino industry - the largest in the state - took a wallop during the Great Recession.Įxpansion plans were scaled back, some casinos had layoffs, and one closed last year.