As the recession weighs on consumer-oriented businesses, many vendors are stepping up their efforts to draw in customers over the summer including the gambling industry, which is now dangling some of the most colorful lures.

Hotel rooms in Vegas are nearly half off from a year ago, and you can score a room at even a high end hotel like Las Vegas Venetian for less than $100 a night. (Regularly, they go for upwards of $250.) It isn t just room bargains, either: some hotels are offering credits for restaurants, spas and golf outings, as well as free tickets to shows and nightclubs.

The reason is simple: The economic slowdown has put new pressure on the industry. In May, Atlantic City casinos reported $351.3 million in slot machine and table income, a drop of 15.4% compared with last year, according to the New Jersey Casino Control Commission. In Las Vegas, about 400 convention cancellations this year have cost the city more than $100 million in hotel income, Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons said in a May statement.

For many tourists and convention-goers, the decision to take a trip to a gambling resort is now a higher-stakes game, as they weigh the potential to lose big against the odds of a dream windfall that could ease unexpected debts. That s part of the reason why casinos have dialed down their prices on hotels and amenities.

Because casino resorts -- which include the hotels, restaurants, shops, shows and other entertainment -- make roughly 70% of their profits from slot machines, lost gambling revenue is particularly painful, says Chris Roberts, director of the School of Hospitality Leadership at DePaul University. They need bodies there pumping money through those machines, he says. They re hungry to get players back on the floors, and will do just about anything.

The result: bargain-basement room rates with lots of extras, even for weekend-night stays. In Las Vegas, the average daily hotel rate is $86 -- 44% less than this time last year, according to booking site Orbitz.com. In many cases, consumers can easily save 60%, says Barbara Messing, a spokeswoman for Hotwire s deals site Travel-Ticker.com. These are the sort of rates you d see in Vegas 20 years ago, she says.

High rollers and frequent gamblers often receive free or heavily-discounted rooms, and casinos are hoping that extending those deals to the broader travel market will entice visitors to spend more at the blackjack table, says Michael McCall, a professor of marketing with Ithaca College in Ithaca, N.Y. You ll notice that anything that s enjoyable and takes you away from the casino, you ll pay a premium for, he says. That s also why many deals include freebies that keep you in the building. (The Venetian Las Vegas, for example, is currently offering more than $100 in restaurant and nightclub credits within the casino and its sister, The Palazzo.)

Many travelers may simply dabble at the tables or forego them altogether, but some problem-gambling groups say recession-stressed consumers should make sure they aren t getting steered into addictive behavior, encouraged by the money they saved on their accommodations. Steven Burton, the director of The Problem Gamblers Help Network of West Virginia, says anyone headed on a casino trip should set a limit for themselves before departing.

Airfare to a casino getaway still has less to do with the condition of the gambling industry than the destination and the point of departure. However, there are some opportunities to save: Plenty of empty seats mean airlines are offering a slew of last-minute deals to Vegas. Expedia, for example, is offering round-trip flights from New York for as little as $259.

Here s a selection of deals in Las Vegas, Atlantic City and other casino towns:

Las Vegas Deals

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Stay in the new Paradise Tower after its August opening to get 30% off retail, dining and spa services, as well as free entry to the nightclub Wasted Space. Room rates start at $99. To receive the discount, consumers must mention code PTOPEN1 when booking. (No end date specified.)

MGM Grand
Room rates start at $63 a night for a Grand Tower deluxe room with one king bed. Travelers who stay before Feb. 6 will receive $35 in casino credit, 25% off all spa and salon services and two free passes (valid Sunday through Thursday) for use at the nightclubs Studio 54 or Tabu. Or if they book a package including air and three nights through Orbitz.com, they ll receive two free tickets to "Cirque du Soleil" or "The Lion King."

Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino
Travelers who book the two-or-more-night Fuel Your Fame package will get room rates starting at $89 a night for a Hollywood Hip room with a king bed. As part of the package, they ll also receive a $40 gas credit, $40 in casino credit and one free bottle of liquor, wine or champagne for each night of their stay.

Venetian Las Vegas
Travelers who book a Delta Vacations package by July 31 for travel through Oct. 1 will get airfare and three nights for as little as $332. (Flight from Salt Lake City. From New York, package prices start at $468.) If they use promo code DV10621 at checkout, they ll save another $50 off package prices. The Venetian is throwing in a $50 casino credit, a $25 credit for the Dos Caminos restaurant, a $30 credit to Zine Noodles Dim Sum, 20% off at Dal Toro restaurant, and free entry and one free drink at the nightclub LAVO, Messing says. The package will also earn travelers 2,500 bonus miles from Delta.

Atlantic City Deals

Bally s Atlantic City Hotel & Casino
Through Sept. 30, travelers can book the Country Club Fun package for $159. The rate includes one night in a deluxe room with a king bed (regularly $149 and up) and $100 credit for the Atlantic City Country Club.

Showboat Atlantic City
Tourists who book the Quick Retreat one-night package before Aug. 31 receive rates as low as $199. The deal includes a deluxe room with a king bed (regularly $119 and up), a $150 spa credit for Vive Day Spa and Salon, and a room-service breakfast.

Trump Plaza
Guests who stay before Sept. 3 can book the Beach Bar Package, which starts at $159 per night. They ll get a deluxe room with a king bed (regularly $139 and up), free admission for two to the Trump Beach Bar, plus a $20 food credit and two free drinks at the bar.

Deals in Other Cities

Mohegan Sun (Uncasville, Conn.)
Travelers who book reservations two weeks prior to their stay will save $50 off the nightly rate. (Regularly, starts at $199 for a room with a king bed.) They must mention the promotion code TADV09 when booking. (No end date specified.)

Sky City Hotel (Acoma, N.M.)
Guests can pay $45 for the Summer Day Getaway package, which includes a room with a king bed (regularly $95 and up), breakfast, a casino credit and a gift. (No end date specified.)

Spa Resort Casino (Palm Springs, Calif.)
Through Sept. 13, guests who book the Paradise Nights Package will receive room rates of $85 a night (regularly $89 and up), two free dinner buffet tickets and a $25 casino credit.