Loophole LaRue, SASS #51438 Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 Got a casino nearby? Whaddya think? Good? Bad? Indifferent? It looks like, after years of fighting and dealing, our state government is about to grant permits for three casinos, including one for our only recognized Indian tribe (Wampanoag). If you've got one in your area, I'd be interested in your experiences: Land values - up or down? Area development - decent, indecent, ugly, neat, what? Crime - up or down? Gambling dependency - real or illusory? Benefits? Jobs - lots, few, decent pay, minimum wage? Traffic? Any relationship to alcohol/drug use or activity? On balance, considering all benefits and negatives, if you had it to do over again, would you be for or against a casino in your area? What has been the most significant change attributable to the casino? Please, no moral/immoral arguments; I think that issue has been flushed down the drain in this debate. Much appreciated. LL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunt Jen Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 At this point, I think jobs are so needed for the overall economy, and then hence home prices, etc., that a casino moving into the area would probably be viewed by most as a good thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Harley, #14153 Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 I lived in Cincinnati for sixteen years while casinos came to Indiana and located adjacent to us in Lawrenceburg. My answers are below. Land values - up or down? No change, unless you had one of the lucky sites near the casino that were bought by businesses. Many things had a greater impact on land prices. Area development - decent, indecent, ugly, neat, what? The casinos were okay by casino standards, but everything else was basic strip malls and c-stores. What do people want to buy when driving to or from the casinos? A few new small hotels built, but the casino hotels handled the bulk of travelers. Crime - up or down? My friends in the area reported no difference in crime other than a rise in drunken stupidness on the part of weekend casino patrons. Gambling dependency - real or illusory? In individual families there were issues, but not the widespread crumbling of family structure that some people feared. Benefits? Lots of road repaving in the county paid for by casino taxes. Jobs - lots, few, decent pay, minimum wage? A decent number of low-paying service jobs were created. During construction there was a boom in skilled labor and technical jobs. The high paying casino/hotel management jobs were filled by people from out of town. Traffic? Road infrastructure was upgraded to handle increased traffic so that issue was handled well. Any relationship to alcohol/drug use or activity? Not that we noticed. On balance, considering all benefits and negatives, if you had it to do over again, would you be for or against a casino in your area? I think a well run casino is not a bad thing to have in your area. In Ohio I voted against the casino bill because of issues I had with the wording, but if it had been written correctly I would have supported it. What has been the most significant change attributable to the casino? I don't know that there have been a lot of "significant" changes. It was no different than any other semi-large employer moving into the area. Please, no moral/immoral arguments; I think that issue has been flushed down the drain in this debate. Much appreciated. LL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abilene Slim SASS 81783 Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 Got a casino nearby? Whaddya think? Good? Bad? Indifferent? It looks like, after years of fighting and dealing, our state government is about to grant permits for three casinos, including one for our only recognized Indian tribe (Wampanoag). If you've got one in your area, I'd be interested in your experiences: Land values - up or down? No change Area development - decent, indecent, ugly, neat, what? Overall, neat. There are a number of casinos in our area (Kansas City) that are built near riverfront property. Prior to construction, the areas were either undeveloped or in industrial neighborhoods. Overall the casinos look glitzy and a bit tacky, but to me, all casinos look that way. Crime - up or down? No change. Crime in our town usually occurs far away from the casinos Gambling dependency - real or illusory? I don't think the casinos are creating more gambling addicts. There would be addicts without the casinos. Benefits? Jobs - lots, few, decent pay, minimum wage? Overall, there are probably a couple thousand jobs with decent pay that wouldn't otherwise be there. Traffic? Not a problem Any relationship to alcohol/drug use or activity? Not as a result of the casinos On balance, considering all benefits and negatives, if you had it to do over again, would you be for or against a casino in your area? I'm pretty indifferent What has been the most significant change attributable to the casino? They provide a lot of money to the state, though not as much as proponents claimed when selling the concept. They've been good corporate citizens here. Please, no moral/immoral arguments; I think that issue has been flushed down the drain in this debate. Much appreciated. LL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Okie Sawbones, SASS #77381 Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 From a 2009 NIGA report: • $26.2 Billion in gross revenue from Indian gaming (before wages, operating expenses, cost of goods and services, capital costs, etc. are paid) • $3.2 Billion in gross revenue from related hospitality and entertainment services (resorts, hotels, restaurants, golf, entertainment complexes, and travel centers, etc.) • 628,000 jobs nationwide for American Indians and our neighbors (direct and indirect jobs created by Indian gaming’s economic multiplier effect) • $9.4 Billion in Federal taxes and revenue savings (including employer and employee social security taxes, income taxes, excise taxes, and savings on unemployment and welfare payments) • $2.4 Billion in state taxes, revenue sharing, and regulatory payments (including state income, sales and excise taxes, regulatory payments and revenue sharing pursuant to Tribal-State compacts) With the many positive effects, there also come negative effects: gambling addiction. Is there a correlation between increased pathological gambling and the growth in tribal casinos? (Pathological gambling is defined as compulsive gambling behavior where it is beyond the control of the individual.) In Minnesota, the number of individuals calling the compulsive gambling hotline increased dramatically over the last three years. All of Minnesota's compulsive gambling treatment centers are full, and the state is considering devoting more resources towards the problem. Furthermore, preliminary evidence suggests that pathological gambling is more prevalent among Indians than non-Indians, but much more research is needed. Another negative aspect involves an argument researchers debate: those who can least afford to gamble usually are the most affected. "The poor spent a greater percentage of their income on gambling than the wealthy, giving gambling the same effect on incomes as regressive taxes--the poor are hit the hardest." All of that said, another study concluded: At this point, however, it can be concluded that comparing multiple jurisdictions where casino gambling has been introduced and comparing them to matched control jurisdictions reveals that crime does not appear to be an inevitable or necessary product of casino presence. We have Indian casinos all over WA. I'm totally indifferent, since I never frequent them. I have not read of any significant adverse aspects to the community at large. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Utah Bob #35998 Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 Colorado has two towns up north with private casinos and two or 3 Indian Casinos down south. AS long as you avoid an Atlantic City scenario where you have a boxcar load of casinos I doubt there will be much impact on property values or crime. They do provide income and while I'd prefer they existed only in Nevada and on Reservations there have been so many states that have hopped on the gambling bandwagon I think they're pretty much inevitable at this point. Once the state lotteries became popular, casinos were a forgone conclusion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace_of_Hearts Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 We have a couple of Casinos here. They seem to do well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
largo casey #19191 Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 In my area here there is 6 casino's within 75 miles.All but 1 is on Reservations.As far as I know those on the Reservation don't pay state or federal taxes.Largo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swifty Morgan Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 Yep! one in my back yard, almost. Jobs? Low pay! Unless you are in the inner circle! Use local resources? yep! But they really try to give back to the community. Do I agree with them? No! Not into a single group of the melting pot being able to do something other than the rest! what happened long ago is history! Lets move on... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lightning Ross #47853 Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 One of the things that the casinos have knocked down the into the bottom of the out house. Is dog and horse racing. It used to be that if you wanted to gamble you had to go to Nevada, Alatic City, or the dog, or horse tracks Now with casinos on every corner The numbers at the tracks are way down and each states racing commission are closing down a lot of small tracks.There are stakes races derbys ind futurity's These type of races pay an entry fee and are usealy bigger races. Most are what you call para mutual races no entry fees and the purses are paid from the betting public. There is no public betting compared to years gone by. Small tracks at fair grounds are being closed all over the country . A real nail in the coffin for the horse and dog industry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Church Key, SASS # 33713 Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 I live in WV near what was Charles Town Races and Slots, and is now Hollywood Casino. They added poker and blackjack which hired about 200 dealers. Their average pay is supposed to be about $45K annually. It's a big help to the school system due to taxes collected. They have also added several restaurants and a hotel. The downside is that the horse racing season has been diminished. In my opinion a very positive situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Kid Sopris, Regulator, #3290 Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 It's all a non issue...Only one thing you have to keep reminding yourself: They don't build those casinos on YOUR Winnings! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loophole LaRue, SASS #51438 Posted August 30, 2011 Author Share Posted August 30, 2011 It's all a non issue...Only one thing you have to keep reminding yourself: They don't build those casinos on YOUR Winnings! Kid: First time I visited Las Vegas (around 1990), I became instantly aware of the fact that those huge hotels and casinos were NOT built of anything other than the money given up by ordinary folks. I gambled about $3.00, and haven't gambled since. I'm just one of those folks who wants something tangible for my money, and the odds are just not even enough to tempt me. I have firends who gamble in CT regularly; as they tell it, they always win; when they enter the casino, they are sought out by management, and given generous "comps" to encourage them to play more. I listen to these stories quietly. Somehow, I can't help but think that if it was that easy, there wouldn't be any casinos. I'm not anti-gambling, especially where the state is getting a cut. If you want to help support the state, and in doing so lighten my tax load, well, thank you. My concerns are more in the "pollution" area - will I see more crime, crippling traffic, cheap strip clubs, etc. as a sideline to gambling? Will the New England countryside give way to the Vegas strip? Your answers have been helpful; thank you. LL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abilene Slim SASS 81783 Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 I'm not anti-gambling, especially where the state is getting a cut. If you want to help support the state, and in doing so lighten my tax load, well, thank you. My concerns are more in the "pollution" area - will I see more crime, crippling traffic, cheap strip clubs, etc. as a sideline to gambling? Will the New England countryside give way to the Vegas strip? That depends on your state and local community. There was much fear of that here when they were first proposed 20 years ago. The local community and state have done a pretty good job of preventing those kinds of things. I've no idea how it works in other states. Hope it all works out for your area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Sage, SASS #49891 Life Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 Like Utah Bob said...we got one real close (less than 20 miles) and another thats within an hour and a half or so driving time....ain't been to the close one in several years...never the other one. Both on Reservations. Used to have pretty good food, but that changes depending on who runs the place. Not worth the drive to spend my $$$. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denver Don Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 almos state passed a bill to buils some but wont be open tell 3013 or was that 2013 heck i dunno Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edward R S Canby, SASS#59971 Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 I live in a location with more Indian casinos than the local economy can support. Some are in financial difficulties. Here is my observation of the casino six miles from my house: Pluses: * They built a high-quality bowling alley my wife and I enjoy on weekends the weather is too awful to shoot. * Meeting space is inexpensive to rent. They really want people walking past the one-armed bandits. * The vehicle fuel they sell at their service station is frequently priced well below the local market. * They book good entertainment. Casinos in general have improved the entertainment offered locally. * The Tribe has much improved governmental services. Minuses: * Their buffet stinks. They need better food service. Other casinos in the area have much better food. * They provide free bus service to the casino from poor neighborhoods where many residents lack vehicles. Bus service is doubled on days social security or welfare checks are delivered. * Local governmental officials caught embezzeling funds usually blew the funds in the casino. Land values were not affected since the casino is on tribal land. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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