There are very few industries and sectors in which the firms have an inherent edge over their customers. You could argue that Wall Street’s asset managers have one, since they make fee money off your account no matter how the markets are doing. Another one would be the global gaming and casino stocks.
While we all dream of a big payout on a blackjack table or roulette wheel, the truth is that the edge is always in the casino’s favor. You may win a few hands here or there, but the reality is you’ll pay the casino far more than they’ll pay you. As the saying goes, “the house always wins.” Armed with that idea, the major casino stocks seem to be a great place to find steady dividend income.
However, that isn’t the case all the time. Yes, many of the stocks in the sector do pay dividends – and some pay pretty handsomely at that – but, the sector isn’t as stable as buying shares in your local regulated electric utility. There are a lot of moving parts involved.
Gambling on the casino stocks may make sense, but trying to find steady portfolio income does not.
