Casinoification of America

[MtSmalls]

There was a report in the local (Denver) paper today about a proposal for a new casino just outside the metro area. This is probably at least 18 months if not 2 years away (there are various issues in land grants to the proper Indian tribe, building etc).

As much of an avid card player as I am, I am beginning to wonder about the 'casinoification' of America and the potential economic issues (as opposed to the overblown social issues).

Casinos are clearly the easy answer for many cities/municipalities to drive new revenue. The Indian tribes or casino owners promise huge percentages to the state (usually for school districts or other easy token gestures), in exchange for smoothing the road to opening the casino. But this takes a piece of the pie for other economic projects that could have a much longer, and much more positive impact on the local economy.

I believe the story this morning quoted 2500 jobs (roughly), but those won't be entirely new jobs, as this establishment will cannibalize a couple of the smaller casinos in the state, and will likely result in less than half of that number of NEW jobs. This results in effectively no change in the state unemployment levels (2500 jobs equals .1% of the metro area), and certainly these will be mostly minimum wage or slightly higher jobs anyway (McJobs).

The rapid expansion of casinos in the country over the last 10 years is amazing, and I do like having a live poker game now and then, but haven't we maxed out to some degree? Or am I just ranting to the wrong crowd?

[Dynasty]

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The rapid expansion of casinos in the country over the last 10 years is amazing, and I do like having a live poker game now and then, but haven't we maxed out to some degree? Or am I just ranting to the wrong crowd?

[/ QUOTE ]

I'd prefer to let the free market determine when we max out on casino expansion rather than the goverment or some other body deciding we've had enough.

[Rick Nebiolo]

I’m a conservative but I don’t believe the free market is the solution for everything. So I disagree with Dynasty here.

The nation would be far better off if casino style gambling stayed restricted to relatively inaccessible places such as Las Vegas and Atlantic City. A litle bit of hard to get to and hard to obtain vice is OK I suppose. But casinos within a twenty minute drive to most of the population are another story.

Connecticut is lucky. Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun are stuck in the far southeast corner of the state. Most of their customers come from outside the state (as do most of Las Vegas and Atlantic City customers). That means Connecticut gets most of the benefits (e.g., taxes, employment to out of work Electric Boat types) but is only stuck with a portion of the social ills associated with gambling.

Once most inner cities have their own casinos we will realize what a mistake we have made as a society.

Anyway, Happy New Year to All!

Rick

[andyfox]

The free market never determines casino expansion or lack thereof. Legislatures, backroom deals, political expediency, and big money make that determination.

[cero_z]

[cero_z]

Hi Rick,
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A litle bit of hard to get to and hard to obtain vice is OK I suppose. But casinos within a twenty minute drive to most of the population are another story.


[/ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Once most inner cities have their own casinos we will realize what a mistake we have made as a society.


[/ QUOTE ]
These 2 statements demonstrate a contempt for people and their right to govern their own lives that is unfounded, IMO. As for the 1st statement, it seems to offer denial as public policy. If the point is that casinos are just too tempting to be made readily available to all, then shouldn't we only build them atop the tallest mountain peaks, or deep under the sea? This makes no sense to me.
Despite the above, I actually agree with you that there are too many casinos throughout the country. IMO, they are harmful social agents that siphon off a community's resources and provide little in return. Therefor, I would vote against a casino in my local area. But, these problems are just as real in Vegas as in most other locales with state-sanctioned gambling, so putting casinos in "hard to get to" places is no solution.
I believe the problems are government corruption, as andyfox mentioned, and a lack of true disclosure to the general public about precisely how a casino works, and how it affects its community. IMO, the first problem is the main contributor to the second. Please see my home state of Wisconsin for countless examples.
Reading over my post, I see that it's harsh. I mean no offense to you, personally, Rick; I just strongly disagree with your viewpoint on this matter.

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

You're only partially correct. Had the marketplace said "No" to casinos, no amount of backroom dealings would have greased such an expansion.

[dandy_don]

Originally from an urban environment (Memphis), I understand the concern of MtSmalls knowing that the poorest of the poor are usually the ones most in attendance at these facilities; you hear the stories of embezzlement, people loosing their mortgage or grocery money gambling, however, people have to be responsible for their own actions.

In Memphis, if it wasn't the casinos in Tunica, there was already the dog tracks in West Memphis, horse tracks in Hot Springs (AR), lotto’s, bingo parlors, etc. that are causing this to happen as well. The casinos are just doing a better job of captivating the individuals.

[dandy_don]

I wish I had read the entire thread before posting because I'd like to agree with some of the later statements mentioned:

Where I currently live, there are no poker rooms or table games within several hours of me (at least 4 hours away although I only know of Tunica which is 6 hours away). There are Indian casinos in Oklahoma but my understanding is that they only have slots, which I would never play. I would love to have a poker room nearby.

The reason the casinos are in Tunica (about 30 minutes South of Memphis) and not in DeSoto County (my original home area) is because we kept voting it down each time it came up for a vote. Had it passed, the casinos would have been literally on the city limits of Memphis and not 30 minutes away.

[HDPM]

Then perhaps a government should stop doing things it has no business doing. Maybe a state gov should get rid of planning and zoning laws and laws prohibiting gambling. What people do w/ their money that doesn't hurt another person is not the government's concern. And I don't care about the boo hoo hoo stuff that the poorest people lose their money and their kids suffer etc.... Their kids suffer anyway and then the parents make the problem worse by sending them to public schools, taking them to church, and feeding them poison. And parents waste money all the time on tvs and toys and cars they can't afford purchased on 72 mo. 9% financing or whatever. But nobody cries over that. just the potential effect of gambling on the family budget. WGAS? [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]