Gambling opponents may have cheered last year when Harrah’s Entertainment dropped its plan build a casino at the Mulvane exit of the Kansas Turnpike. But even with the poor economy, it seemed inevitable that a casino would be built in Sumner County, because the Wichita area offers a large market for expanded gambling. So it wasn’t surprising that three groups submitted casino proposals to the state last week. Nor was it surprising that the Mulvane location, and not Wellington, received the most focus, given its proximity to Wichita.
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16 Comments
It takes many to lose in order for a few to win.
There’s a big building in Old Town which would be great for converting into a casino.
Anyone who has taken a basic course in economics knows that gambling casinos don’t bring in money. They vacuum up money from the local area to ship on fast overnight trains back to Las Vegas where the up front money came from in the first place.
Excepting for the location, the same is true for WalMart, Target, Chili’s, and pert near EVERY national/international business.
Support your local businesses and bring back the mom and pop grocery.
JWink
Posted April 5, 2009 at 7:22 am | Permalink
Anyone who has taken a basic course in economics knows that gambling casinos don’t bring in money. They vacuum up money from the local area to ship on fast overnight trains back to Las Vegas where the up front money came from in the first place.
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Well, certainly the wages paid to many of the Kansas employees would largely stay in Kansas. I think your larger point is that casinos don’t rely on clustered suppliers (as do aircraft and many other manufacturers). Corporate income earned in Kansas may not stay here and may be sent to banks out of state.
To my mind the bigger issue is strength of community. Relying on casino employment to provide community roots sure seems iffy. Iffier than most, anyway. Not to mention the cost to the community of gambling addiction. The certainty of addiction raising its head later is matched only by the certainty that some Wichita families will suffer more than others from having access to a local casino.
Casino supporters who acknowledge that obsessive behaviors will probably tick up with the arrival of a casino never want to dwell much on the fact that some families will suffer far more than others. Neither the gains nor the pains will be evenly distributed.
The first thing I look for in a casino is the way out. I did like one in northern Minnesota. Damned good band.
A casino is like GWB. Couldn’t change the channel fast enough.
I’m guilty of a lot of vices. Gambling simply doesn’t seem to be one of them.
I read recently how the state of Maine requires casinos to fund a rehabilitation program for addicted gamblers and, after more than two years, has not had a single case to handle.
Not saying there aren’t compulsive gamblers. And I’m not saying such programs aren’t a good idea.
But compulsive gamblers don’t just happen when someone opens a casino.
They’ve been betting on football games, basketball games, lottery tickets, dog races….
It’s like the anti-drug hysteria; the misguided idea the minute marijuana is decriminalized, your Aunt Harriet and her bridge club will run out a buy a hookah and zone out to Judas Priest.
And non-Vegas casino acts are generally…sad has-beens or almost-wases.
I was staying at a hotel/casino once in Oklahoma when the headlining act in the lounge was “Dawn.”
Not “Tony Orlando and….” Just “Dawn.”
I watched a movie and hit the mini-bar for a couple of beers and wondered if it was the original “Dawn” only for a while.
“It takes many to lose in order for a few to win.” **** Many have “fun” even if they lose. There are a lot of winners that don’t even play because it is like a voluntary tax on the ones that volunteer to go and that pays for services for everyone.
I’m not completely sold on the idea that there is such thing as gambling addiction. Telling people their stupid for blowing their rent/food money at the casino seems harsh, so instead of telling people their dumb we tell them its not their fault they have a “disease”.
TomPaine
Posted April 5, 2009 at 4:34 pm | Permalink
I’m not completely sold on the idea that there is such thing as gambling addiction. Telling people their stupid for blowing their rent/food money at the casino seems harsh, so instead of telling people their dumb we tell them its not their fault they have a “disease”.
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Good point. However I believe (and “know” from personal experience) that addiction exists. It may not be a disease but it is real.
Some people are addicted to cigs, alcohol, sugar, TV, video games hell the WEblog is an addiction.
How many here could just stop and never blog again?
certainly some sorts of addiction, drugs, alcohol some kinds of food chemically alter the brain. Im septical about putting shopping, blogging or video games in the same as drugs and booze
Opening your eyes in the morning changes brain chemistry!
Thought changes brain chemistry.
IMHO addiction is a spiritual disease that can manifest as all kinds of deviant behavior from gambling to sex to watching TV etc.
Substance abuse and addiction are two different critters.
Whatever happened to the promise of a “destination” casino? If the economic viability of the business depends on the location being a few miles closer to Wichita it’s obvious, isn’t it, that this casino project is simply designed to suck money out of the local area on behalf of the multi gazillionaire developers. Casinos are an economic benefit to a region only when most of the gamblers come from outside the area. That’s why Las Vegas and Indian reservations do well with casinos. If the casino just pulls from the local community, it is a drain on the economy.
BobChi – you make a good point. Unless, of course, they plan to partner with hotels elsewhere and provide a shuttle.
http://community.beliefnet.com/placements/go/thread/view/52291/14222827/Foundations?sdb=1