Conservative Republicans in the Legislature who are fuming about the gambling expansion may find a way to console themselves, especially if the new revenue estimates are rosy: “This is a golden opportunity to cut taxes now and help boost the state’s economy,” said state Sen. Jim Barnett, R-Emporia, who had fought the gambling bill.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
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14 Comments
A friend is a businessman in a Kansas community near a casino. He says that for whatever reasons, businesses closed, bankruptcies occured and families broke up in the vicinity of the casino site. Remember, gambling doesn’t bring in money after the initial start up investment … it efficiently removes it like a vacuum cleaner.
The gambling industry is in business TO REMOVE MONEY AS QUICKLY AND EFFICIENTLY AS POSSIBLE from those willing to buy their services … in return for loud ringing bells, flashing lights and noise of clinking coins.
On par with smoking a package of cigarettes. Did you ever see a person enjoying gambling in a casino … DEFINITELY NOT.
Another huge mistake for Kansas and Wichita. To paraphrase Edgar Allen Poe, “NOTHING MORE, NEVERMORE!”
I don’t think a casino is going to bring gloom and doom to Wichita but I also think that the revenue to the state is vastly over estimated (just as happened with the horsetracks). But it will bring in tourist which is good.
The state got suckered into a bad deal with a very low return. As Senator Wagle stated, other states are getting two to three times the financial return Kansas will get.
This is more about some Gambling interests getting rich than raising money for Kansas.
“The gambling industry is in business TO REMOVE MONEY AS QUICKLY AND EFFICIENTLY AS POSSIBLE from those willing to buy their services”
How is that any different than the oil industry, health care industry, corporate America in general? Hell, it’s the mantra of Corporate America. All of a sudden you want someone else to have a conscience?
It is different Ken in that the oil industry, health care industry and corporate America actually give you goods or services in turn.
I wouldn’t call throwing money on a table gambling it away a service or a goods. It’s entertainment, but not a necessity of life.
I spent some of the happier evenings of my youth in the jazz clubs of Kansas City, nursing a single drink for 3hrs so I could listen to some really great musicians.When the liquor-by-the-drink issue finally came up for a vote here, I voted for it because the supporters promised we’d get some really great musicians here on a regular basis like they did in KC. Didn’t happen.Now we have the casinos promising pretty much the same thing as the saloon supporters. Burnt once, twice shy, as my grandmother used to say.
I don’t have a dog in this fight. Gambling is something I don’t do. If I want to gamble, I’ll put my money in the stock market. ;) Or, more to the point, it’s a gamble to get up every morning, and that’s all the risk I need.
People choose to do unwise things every day. Those who want to gamble will gamble, whether they can afford it or not. For many, it’s entertainment with a chance to gain, although most will only spend. It’s too bad there isn’t more entertainment that doesn’t have a price tag, but there aren’t a lot of free things left in life. One way or another, we pay.
As easy as it is now to drive to a place where one can gamble, having or not have a casino in Wichita isn’t going to change all that many lives. Those with a true addiction will always find a way to feed it. Those who do it for entertainment will do it here, instead of in KC or OK or whevever.
If it brings in revenue, that’s a plus, but it’s all going to come down to what that revenue will be spent on. And if it’s anything like the lottery has been, I’m not expecting much.
I can’t wait to get a casino…I am tired of driving to Mayetta
Consolation prize…
You mean all the pickpockets and scam artists that lurk near and in casinos around the country will now enter Sedgwick County.
That kind of consolation?
At least there might be decent hookers. ;)
Just kiddin.
These Casinos isn’t going to bring scam artist and pickpocketers. Do you see them hanging around Indian Casinos?
The same crowd that goes to Bingo parlors are the same people that will come to the Casino. Basically overweight, cigeratte chain smoking, drunk poor people that usually always want a chance of hitting it big by pulling a lucky number. Basically Dee Stuarts of the area.
I was against the casino’s in Sedgwick county for one reason – it draws out the poor white/black/latino trash and it just is an ugly place to go.Get a financial advisor; they’ll show you how to save those dollars.
“The state got suckered into a bad deal with a very low return. As Senator Wagle stated, other states are getting two to three times the financial return Kansas will get.”
Why do we let our legislators do this kind of crap? How can we stop them?
“It is different Ken in that the oil industry, health care industry and corporate America actually give you goods or services in turn.”
“I wouldn’t call throwing money on a table gambling it away a service or a goods. It’s entertainment, but not a necessity of life.”
Repub –As you stated gambling is a service much like going to a movie / play etc …. and most shareholders don’t care how their dividend is created — and obviously the majority of state legislators are willing to give up some state income to subsidize the gaming industry and help the shareholders
Not necessarily true:”The same crowd that goes to Bingo parlors are the same people that will come to the Casino. Basically overweight, cigeratte chain smoking, drunk poor people that usually always want a chance of hitting it big by pulling a lucky number. Basically Dee Stuarts of the area.
Posted by: Joe Williams | April 01, 2007 at 09:09 PM
I was against the casino’s in Sedgwick county for one reason – it draws out the poor white/black/latino trash and it just is an ugly place to go.Get a financial advisor; they’ll show you how to save those dollars.
Posted by: Art Vandalay | April 02, 2007 at 12:25 AM
OUCH !!! You guys are brutal — not too far off the mark — but I’ve seen a lot of skinny, non smoking, BMW / Mercedes driving people at mid west casinos — the wealthier people can afford to fly Vegas and play with thier ilk — and playing the stock market is not much less a gamble than a dice table, slot machine and with skill and practice you can become good at either (well maybe not the slot machines)
Again we have the “right wingers” governing morality. If you don’t like casino’s then don’t go. Who are you to tell me where I can and can’t spend my money?BigBrother is at it again!
The sad and inevitable refrain that we continue to hear from the nay sayers is that our money will end up in the hands of the corporate casino bosses and not in the hands of the state. As I see it, the state is getting about 27% right off the top. The fact that the legislature doesn’t spend it the way you want them to might just be a capitol building jam packed with poor lawmakers. But then they can promise anything and then change the game once you vote it in. Kind of like they did with the powerball and Kansas Cash. the fact that you can’t trust a politician is nothing new.
The other thing that we have to remember is that since we as a community have sat on our hands (when we weren’t wringing them) and waited until there were casinos close enough to siphon our hard earned dollars away to neighboring cities and states, now we have to have casinos in our locality just to keep the money in town. The backwardness of the “no” argument is so transparent as to be elementary. If we had done this twenty years ago…. well, then the patrons couldn’t have gotten an alcoholic beverage without a moronic club card.
Bren