The casino industry is enjoying a renaissance up north, reports the Reno Gazette-Journal. At the same time, skeptics say there are not enough locals for all the properties.

"I don't think there is a shortage of places to gamble in Carson City right now," says Ormsby House co-owner Don Lehr. His property is undergoing renovations and will open as a 130-room, all-suite hotel.

Two expanding casino operators have recently moved in: The publicly traded Sands Regent of Reno bought two small operations in Dayton, and Jacobs Entertainment, a Colorado-based casino operator with public debt, purchased Piñon Plaza in Carson City. The investments offer major votes of confidence in the region's tourism and locals economies, says the paper.

The casino expansions and acquisitions reflect a trend noted in a Nevada Resort Association report, which said outside of the Las Vegas Strip, locals are the only segment attracting investment. But for locals to thrive, you need lots of locals, don't you?