Topic: Gaming

[Blade]

Ah, the ole gaming post that crops up once a month. :mrgreen:

Now, before all you anti-gamers come on here with myths and tales of myths, just stop, say out loud, and then type: "I don't want gaming just because I don't want it."  and leave all the reasons by the wayside.

I've already seen some myths presented as fact.  The research presented below is from the findings of the State of Indiana on Belterra Casino Resort.  Belterra is located in the quiet farming community of Switzerland County, a predominantly Christian area located on the Ohio River across from Kentucky.  Switzerland county HAD basically the same woes (though less extreme) as Huntington and the nearest city is nearly 50 miles away.

Myth:  The casino will not increase the population of the community.

Truth: Yes, it will.  As a matter of fact, every casino built since Las Vegas has shown population increase.  Even in our little, quiet, farming community, 3 new housing complexes have been built the first year.  The only problem the county has is keeping up with the infrastructure.

Myth:  The casino only produces low-paying jobs.

Truth:  Not only does the casino produce low-paying jobs(servers, clerks, receptionists, dealers, housekeeping),  that are 25% higher than the national average ($29,250 vs $23,580 in 2001), it also produces administrative, engineering, food&beverage, hotel operations, maintenance, and marketing positions paying in excess of $50,000.

Myth:   Casino jobs pay little or no benefits.

Truth:  ALL Belterra full-time employees receive major medical, hospitalizaion, dental, vision, life, short-term disability and matching 401s.

Myth:  Out-of-staters will be brought in for all the good jobs.

Truth:  Most casinos will hire and train local labor.  Not only is this effective for community relations, it is good business.  Also, most communities require that a certain percentage of local labor is used and say so in their permit.  WV casino bill had similar nomanclature in the body of the bill.

Myth:  Casinos have little impact on the local economy.

Truth:  In the first month, Switzerland unemployment rate went from 7.7% to 5.3%.  

Myth:  Casinos will prey upon the local people.

Truth:  Only 28% of the patrons in the first year were Indiana residents, and these residents averaged $42 per visit.  Hardly a loss of home type problem.  The hotel stayed at nearly 90% capacity for the year.  That's YEAR.

Myth:  Casinos increase crime.

Truth:  In the first year of Belterra, 2.3 million people visited the casino.  Only 37 arrests were made, none of these violent crimes but mostly dui and gaming theft.  For those counting, the crime rate was less than 0.00002 percent.

Facts on community financial impact:

Belterra, in it's first year, paid:

$246.2 million in construction costs
$1.2 million contribution to the medical center
$1.75 million for Traffic Control & Roads
$125 thousand for EMS equip
$525 thousand for Fire fighting equip
$125 thousand to the Sheriff Dept.
$1.28 million for County infrastructure (parks, fairgrounds, etc)
$1.28 million in county Endowments
$1.7 million for Utilities infrastructure (gas, electric, sewer)

$8.7 million in State, county & local operating taxes
$26.2 million in Gaming & Income Taxes
$1.2 million in sales & use tax
$475 thousand in property tax

So, when you overtly profess opposition to gaming, just say "that's just the way I feel".  The facts just don't justify your stance.  

References:  Evaluation of the First Year Operations of Belterra Resort

[Thunders]

Yeah the whole increase in crime rate thing makes me laugh.  I remember when they were trying to get it here and the people opposing it brought some guy in that supposedly knew about all this and he kept saying that crime would go up and all that and everyone voted against it. What they failed to look at is that is would bring so much extra money to downtown that you could hire double or triple the police force with the money Huntington would have made from the Casino!!     Let's put it this way.....It is better than what we have now, which is nothing.   We have Pullman but it will take a while to get going and will never bring in the kind of cash that a Casino would have.  

We still have the old money people around here that are set in their ways  but that will change in the next 10 years or so.  That mentality has ruined Huntington and if not for Marshall this town would have dried up and blown away long ago. The city should thank MU everyday.