Maybe things aren’t so bad for Las Vegas. The state’s Gaming Control Board show that in October of this year, casinos in the Las Vegas won over $880,000,000, an 11% increase over 2009 and that a 22% increase in casino gambling taxes meant another $60,000,000 for the state. Poker rooms continue to be a vital part of the state’s gaming revenue — even if the percentage earned from players is smaller compared to other casino games, the growth of the game and the regularity of tournaments in Las Vegas mean a steader stream of income.

The state’s income from gaming has been tumultuous lately, with the state only posting a monthly rise on year-on-year results in November of 2009 and February of 2010 before hitting a dry spell. The last few months, however, have seen things shifting a bit, with August showing an 11.5% rise in income, a 1% rise in September and now an 11% rise in October. Some analysts like Union Gaming’s Bill Lerner believe this means things have begun to turn around.

“This data continues to suggest we’ve moved beyond stabilization in Las Vegas and have entered the early stages of recovery. Everything we are seeing on the visitation front … along with convention similarly underscores positive inflection in Las Vegas.”

However, the rest of the state shows that Las Vegas doesn’t necessarily mean that everything is better off there. Washoe County and Elko County are both up year-to-year, but South Lake Tahoe and the Carson Valley are are both down significantly.