Casino chiefs talk about industry vulnerability

"Don't think of it as threatening," said Patti Hart, chief executive of Reno-based International Game Technology. "Think of it as layering. It allows the industry to grow again."

Brian Gamache, president and chief executive of WMS Industries of Waukeegan, Ill., said his electronic and digital gambling machine manufacturer has been doing business in the United Kingdom for three years. He called Internet poker a "stalking horse" that attracts players who later turn to other games that are more profitable for operators.

Walter Bugno, the head of Las Vegas gambling systems maker Spielo International, called customer loyalty and retention the key challenge for companies offering Internet gambling.

"It's only one click of the finger and you're gone," Bugno said.