Can Gambling Save New Orleans?

[dgridley]

NEW ORLEANS - Mayor C. Ray Nagin hopes to attract tourists and their cash back to his ravaged city with an "out-of-the-box" plan to install Las Vegas-style gambling in the city's biggest hotels.

Nagin put forth the casino proposal Friday as a way to jump-start New Orleans' economy and help its people get back to work in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

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As everyone knows, I enjoy casinos... but what do you all think of this as a solution?

 

[.X.]

I go to bossier city la,About two or three times a year,Very short drive from where i live,All the casinos are riverboat casinos,This because of politicians and ect, they are are a boat and have to be on the rivers edge.The above would be the best thing New Orleans could do imo,To heck with riverboat gambling and make a strip of casinos,They put a harrahs right in the middle of new orleans,Why not just make a strip like las vegas blvd.

 

[dgridley]

Personally I've never understood the rationale behind the requirement that casinos be located on the water or near the river.. it's the same way in Mississippi (I've been to Tunica a couple times) and Kansas City, for example.

Geez, does anything change regarding gambling if it's NOT on the water? No... so if they're going to allow gambling at all, I say let 'em roost where they may!

Being near water certainly didn't help in New Orleans in any case and I hear the casinos are lobbying to have the right to build at least 2000 feet from water (which sounds logical in hindsight).

I'm not sure legalized gambling really boosts a local economy tho... we have a few Indian casinos nearby in Oklahoma and they look like they're raking in the bucks and I don't see the locals benefitting proportionately. More likely it lines the local tax coffers tho.. and maybe greases a few political palms.

I go to bossier city la,About two or three times a year,Very short drive from where i live,All the casinos are riverboat casinos,This because of politicians and ect, they are are a boat and have to be on the rivers edge.The above would be the best thing New Orleans could do imo,To heck with riverboat gambling and make a strip of casinos,They put a harrahs right in the middle of new orleans,Why not just make a strip like las vegas blvd.

 

[HHDomains]

I don't see this as a solution.
New Orleans has been one of the most corrupt cities in the United States. Mix this with gambling and the only people who benefit are the politicians and the mob.

I think the best thing that could happen for New Orleans and for Louisiana would be to get rid of Nagin and Gov. Blanco and put competant people in their positions.

 

[.X.]

Personally I've never understood the rationale behind the requirement that casinos be located on the water or near the river.. it's the same way in Mississippi (I've been to Tunica a couple times) and Kansas City, for example.

Geez, does anything change regarding gambling if it's NOT on the water? No... so if they're going to allow gambling at all, I say let 'em roost where they may!

Being near water certainly didn't help in New Orleans in any case and I hear the casinos are lobbying to have the right to build at least 2000 feet from water (which sounds logical in hindsight).

I'm not sure legalized gambling really boosts a local economy tho... we have a few Indian casinos nearby in Oklahoma and they look like they're raking in the bucks and I don't see the locals benefitting proportionately. More likely it lines the local tax coffers tho.. and maybe greases a few political palms.

Dave my understanding,Atleast on having to have the riverboats in bossier city la,Is that several christian organizations along with some politicians where the deciding factor on having them on the river,Don't quote me on it though,But i am a christian,and absolutly don't see the purpose of it,The hotels ajoint to the casinos are not on the river,The way this would bring a positive to new orleans imo,It would create thousands of jobs,It would boost new orleans economy big time,The gaming comission controls the gambling.In bossier city,they take 6% of the winnings automatically for la state taxes.As far as the corruption of la,Well..I feel after katrina,and the building of new orleans there wont be near as much,Keep in mind,Louisiana is the poorest state in US,But a true strip of casinos would be awesome for la,The people,The state imo.

 

[Shorty]

A storm hits the place and it instantly becomes an anarchism city, so he wants to throw gambling into the mix? Why not legalise murder and rape while he's at it? People aren't going to want to travel there with their money when it's such a hell hole are they? What a stupid idea!

 

[.X.]

A storm hits the place and it instantly becomes an anarchism city, so he wants to throw gambling into the mix? Why not legalise murder and rape while he's at it? People aren't going to want to travel there with their money when it's such a hell hole are they? What a stupid idea!

Shorty,First off,I live only 170 miles from la, and have frequented la all my life,How about you????????????? Secondly,New Orleans has to rebuild before anything can be put into place,New Orleans is NOT in a anarchism and never will be,The state has US military troops wide spread throughout the state and they are going to stay there until rebuilding and other processes are near completion,As far as the casinos are concerned,I have no idea how the UK has laws on gambling,casinos or otherwise,But it would boost a much needed economy for new orleans once all the stuctures are rebuilt,It would supply thousands of much needed jobs,It would bring more tourist to new orleans,These wouldn't be state or mob runed casinos i assure you,These would be harrahas,MGM grand and ect that would build thier casinos there,Casino owners from las vegas,Not hoodlums.

 

[dgridley]

To be realistic, gambling has always been closely tied to the mob and corruption, politically and otherwise. Much as I like casinos and gambling, for many there is a downside.

True, these days there are alot of legislative failsafes in place, but don't kid yourself that there aren't plenty of people making money off the little guy gambling away money he can't afford to lose.

As for creating thousands of jobs, this may be true but historically the gaming industry pays it's employees minimum wages or a little better.. employees rely on tips for the most part.

The jobs will come from construction and related support industries IMO.

 

[HHDomains]

The jobs will come from construction and related support industries IMO.

Tourism related jobs will certainly be a benifit but that being said New Orleans was never hurting for tourism dollars.

The probem with casino related tax revenue is that a very large percentage of it goes back into gambling related law enforcement and gambling abuse related programs.

 

[dgridley]

A good point..

The probem with casino related tax revenue is that a very large percentage of it goes back into gambling related law enforcement and gambling abuse related programs.

 

[.X.]

To be realistic, gambling has always been closely tied to the mob and corruption, politically and otherwise. Much as I like casinos and gambling, for many there is a downside.

True, these days there are alot of legislative failsafes in place, but don't kid yourself that there aren't plenty of people making money off the little guy gambling away money he can't afford to lose.

As for creating thousands of jobs, this may be true but historically the gaming industry pays it's employees minimum wages or a little better.. employees rely on tips for the most part.

The jobs will come from construction and related support industries IMO.

No question about it dave,But the days of mobsters owning casino properties are over,Harrahs las vegas now owns virtually 3/4 of the casinos on las vegas blvd now,Not to mention they own the golden nuggett and the legendary horseshoe in down town vegas,Employes don't make big money,True,But that would be floor employess,The chefs make pretty money,The upper scale security make good money,It's not a solution as a whole to save new orleans by far,But a strip of casinos along with burboun street ect sure wouldn't hurt the econmy by any means,But do away with the river boats and make a strip in new orleans is all iam saying,As for gambling in la,It's there to stay,It's just a matter if they are gonna up scale or not.

 

[dgridley]

I'm not so sure organized crime doesn't still have a hand (albeit indirectly) in the casino pie, but, yeah, things are a bit more on the up and up these days.. now it's more the politicians that are making the deals.

Yeah, riverboat restrictions make no sense to me... let them build wherever the community decides, I say.

All I'm saying regarding the measure is: I see plenty of casinos making big money but the community around doesn't seem to benefit proportionately. I think they have a bigger responsibility to the community.

No question about it dave,But the days of mobsters owning casino properties are over,Harrahs las vegas now owns virtually 3/4 of the casinos on las vegas blvd now,Not to mention they own the golden nuggett and the legendary horseshoe in down town vegas,Employes don't make big money,True,But that would be floor employess,The chefs make pretty money,The upper scale security make good money,It's not a solution as a whole to save new orleans by far,But a strip of casinos along with burboun street ect sure wouldn't hurt the econmy by any means,But do away with the river boats and make a strip in new orleans is all iam saying,As for gambling in la,It's there to stay,It's just a matter if they are gonna up scale or not.

 

[.X.]

No question about it,I agree 100%