Gambling and the Economy

So apparently gambling accounts for 500,000 dollars in daily revunue (taxes) for the state of Mississippi. That equals almost 180,000,000 million dollars for one year and the casinos account for 15% of the state's economy. I live in Cincinnati where the debate over riverboat gambling has gone on for many years, yet failed again and again while small Indiana towns, literally twenty minutes away rake in all the money. What is the biggest problem that people have with casinos? 180,000,000 dollars annual tax dollars ( which go to schools and public services )as well as thousands of new jobs and tourism dollars seems like just too much to pass up. Any thoughts?

[rt1]

i see this discussion a lot. most ppl think that gambling (casinos) bring the wrong types of ppl into town. drinkers, hookers, mob, gangsters. this will increase crime in the city. these are not my words... but i did read these types of things a while ago in some editoral.

From the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce Website...

"According to the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, Las Vegas is now the fastest growing city in North America with an estimated two acres of land being developed every 24-hours and seeing approximately 50,000 people annually choosing to make the city and suburbs their home"

Is Las Vegas an anomoly then?

If anything it seems like it is bringing more of the "right" people than it is the "wrong people."

[rigoletto]

[ QUOTE ]
From the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce Website...

"According to the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, Las Vegas is now the fastest growing city in North America with an estimated two acres of land being developed every 24-hours and seeing approximately 50,000 people annually choosing to make the city and suburbs their home"

Is Las Vegas an anomoly then?

If anything it seems like it is bringing more of the "right" people than it is the "wrong people."

[/ QUOTE ]

50,000 drinkers, hookers, mob, gangsters can't be wrong - move to Vegas!

[ QUOTE ]
i see this discussion a lot. most ppl think that gambling (casinos) bring the wrong types of ppl into town. drinkers, hookers, mob, gangsters. this will increase crime in the city. these are not my words... but i did read these types of things a while ago in some editoral.

[/ QUOTE ]

There's also the argument that gambling destroys families.

[playersare]

almost all B&M casino gambling (besides poker and some marginal stratagies in blackjack, VP, progressive jackpots and such) are -EV in the long term, and are basically a "tax on the mathematically inept", or otherwise just a bad way to feed compulsive behavior in general. let there be legal cardrooms everywhere, but I don't see any infrastructural benefit to there being slot machines so close to major metro areas.

online, it's a different story with bonuses and rake rebates in the mix. but cannibalization of public revenue may be a long-term issue in any community which got casinos just in the past decade or so.

Gambling is good. Gambling is right. Gambling works.

[Easy E]

Moral issues and religious objections, mainly

Plus the backside social costs.