First, gambling and loansharking are still the bread and butter for the mob. That's a fact that can be seen in mob indictments over the past decade. But a few things should be pointed out.

While the mob is still involved in the numbers racket, it isn't nearly what it was as far as a source of mob income. This is due to a few different factors, including the legal state lotto as well as changing demographics in mob gambling clientele. Today, numbers is basically an appendage to what is far and away the biggest gambling revenue producer for the mob and their single biggest money maker over all - sports betting. And that is still illegal in every area of the country except for a couple places and is one area where the mob has been able to retain it's dominance. The money made from other gambling sources, like numbers, video poker, and card games, is only a fraction of what the mob takes in from bookmaking.

As it always has, loansharking goes hand with gambling. A bettor racks up a $50,000 gambling debt and has to go to the sharks to pay back the bookies. What payday loan outlet is going to give a degenerate gambling 50 grand? Or often times, the bookie and the loanshark are the same person. Instead of demanding the $50,000 immediately, the bookie/loanshark simply charges the bettor 2% vig on the debt each week. That's $1,000 every week. And that doesn't come off the top. He can pay the grand every week for the next 10 years and in 10 years he still owes the original $50,000. Likewise, there are still others on the wrong side of the law, and even obstensibly legitimate businesses who don't have any other means of obtaining a loan except a mob loanshark.