Monday, March 24, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority surveyed 3,300 tourists for its 1996 Visitor Profile Study, and 32 percent said they were making their first visit to the city.
Two-thirds of those surveyed said the primary purpose of their trip was vacation or pleasure, while only 5 percent said the primary purpose was to gamble.
But most of the visitors found their way the casinos, regardless of their stated objectives. The survey shows 87 percent of those surveyed gambled while in Las Vegas, averaging four hours a day at the tables or the slots. The 87 percent is down slightly, from 89 percent in 1995 and 92 percent in 1994.
And 36 percent of those questioned said they gambled in casino facilities outside of Las Vegas during the previous year.
Rossi Ralenkotter, vice president of marketing for the authority, said the survey shows that the city's new hotels are drawing a wider range of visitors.
The survey also shows that visitors stayed in Las Vegas an average of 3.7 nights and 4.7 days, half a day and half a night longer than in 1994.
Ralenkotter attributed the longer stays to the fact there is more to see and do in the city.
Tourists are also coming with more money to gamble. The survey shows that the average tourist's gambling budget in 1996 was $580.90, compared with $446.63 in 1993.
The survey showed 69 percent of visitors were 40 years old or over, with the average age 49.4 years. Of those surveyed, 68 percent were married, 30 percent were from California, 45 percent had a household income of $40,000 or more, 30 percent were retired, and 39 percent had a high school education or less.
Of those responding, 56 percent said they came by car or bus, 44 percent by air.
Despite larger gambling budgets, Clark County casino winnings grew by only 0.8 percent in 1996 - the smallest percentage in years.
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