It is 10am at the Isle of Capri casino in Biloxi, Mississippi, and Don Williams has been gambling since breakfast. In his hand is a credit slip showing $15 of winnings but, rather than cashing out, he inserts it in a slot machine in the hope of bigger returns.

Two goes later and his credit is down to $13 as the reels fail to deliver matching symbols. “I’ve been back five times since Katrina,” says the 65-year-old from Alabama. “I haven’t won a thing.”