Economic rebirth or social sui
Economic rebirth or social suiEconomic Rebirth or Social Suicide
Any mention of Las Vegas conjures up images of glitzy casinos with flashy neon facades; a city built by gangsters to feast upon the hopes of reckless tourists. Now Las Vegas is losing its singular claim to fame. State by state, the gambling industry has finagled its self to the brink of national prominence. Five years ago the only legalized gambling casinos were in Las Vegas and Atlantic City; 22 states currently have one or more.
Casino promoters, clever accountants and smooth talking public relations experts, deliver the great news of untold benefits to the community: economic revival, reconstruction of a downtown area, and slashed unemployment rates. These are just a few of the enticements promised to local governments by the Gambling industry when it sets its sights on a location for new development. Casino proponents and politicians eager to pad their tax base emphasize the multiplier effect: new jobs that inject money into the local economy, and new money means new businesses that will spur further economic growth. Has the community asked why would a gaming company invest upwards of 300 million dollars in this town? There are definite answers to these questions.
Gambling proponents’ point out there are very few industries that can have such an immediate impact on a community. Casino giant Resorts International conducted an economic impact study during the 1980’s when Louisiana was debating the legalization of gambling. This study predicted a huge influx of tourists, the creation of 69,000 jobs, and a 4.3 billion-dollar industry that would provide the city with a substantial increase in revenue. The owners of the Casino Queen, a riverboat casino in East St. Louis, Illinois, point out that gambling taxes paid by the boat, funded a new Police station, the hiring of 22 police officers, and the purchase of 13 police cars (Richter 3). New Jersey, casino supporters boast that between 1977 and 1992, employment in the service industry employment grew 608%, new construction projects grew 95%, and the creation of 600 transportation related jobs (Reed 18+).
The standard pro-casino rhetoric is full of misleading information and never includes the negative economic and social impacts of gambling. Despite the 1986 New Orleans study that claimed an influx of casino bound tourists, a recent survey found that only 7% of casino visitors were out of state tourists (Reed 18). When the gaming industry conducted their study, the New Orleans tourism committee hired an independent accounting firm to conduct another. The New Orleans study determined the number of jobs created would be less than one tenth of the total suggested by the gambling proponents. The study also revealed the gambling industry would generate $870 million or one fifth the amount touted by the casino builders. What the community does not realize is that a dollar spent in a casino from a member of the community is...
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