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be blamed on the rising number of casinos.
• "There's only so much gambling that can be done, only so much disposable income," Meister said. "You're adding more and more gambling competing for the same dollars."
• The Northeast is the only place that's "tough going" due to intense casino competition, Meister said. Connecticut's Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods Resort casinos have posted consistent declines in slot revenue over the past few years, citing rising competition from New York and Rhode Island and the sluggish economy.
• Casino gambling is expanding in New York City, New York state and Rhode Island, and casinos are being proposed and planned in Massachusetts. As a result, the prospect for greater competition in the Northeast will continue to present huge challenges to Indian casinos, he said.
• Indian casinos generally finance health care, housing, education and other tribal activities. In March 2012, the Mashantucket Pequots in Connecticut halted payments as the tribe's Foxwoods casino struggled with debt and other financial troubles. States also impose a tax on casino revenue and legislators and governors are scrambling to plug holes in state budgets as casino revenue drops.
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Dakotas take precautions for pig virus, fair shows
NORA HERTEL, Associated Press
• PIERRE, S.D. (AP) -- A swine virus has prompted the cancellation of at least one 4H competition and forced other precautions at state and county fairs in North Dakota and South Dakota in an effort to limit its spread.
• The Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea, or PED, virus spreads through pig manure. It's not harmful to humans but is often deadly to piglets.
• South Dakota state veterinarian Dustin Oedekoven said 20 farms in the state have infected swine and 16 additional tests have shown the presence of the virus at other farms on trucks or unloading docks.
• The Animal Industry Board already has policies in place to protect animal health at state and county fairs that encourage young exhibitors to clean and sanitize trailers and pens, monitor for signs of illness and separate animals if they return home, he said.
• "They want to be sure that they're not infecting animals at home or spreading the virus," Oedekoven said.
• Megan Nielson, the 4H youth livestock field specialist in South Dakota, said exhibiting a pig at a fair is like sending a kid to kindergarten because it can bring all kinds of infections back home.
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