f13.net forums - Casinos

Little late to this thread, but..

I grew up in Montville CT, where they built Mohegan Sun, and I still live in the area (Albeit a few towns directly away from the casino now). So far, I've yet to see something good come out of it.

The turnover rate is so ridiculous, due to the fact that there are minimal labor laws they are required to abide by, that the migratory workers who come here for jobs end up as nothing more than a drain on the economy. We're still keeping right up with the national average here on unemployment. The property values have tanked ridiculously in the areas around the casino, a lot of the housing developments within walking distance are now residences for 10-15 casino workers that they jam in like sardines. A close friend of mine watched his propery value decline by over 85% within the first 3 years of the casino being there.

It's extremely taxing on the local towns, traffic cops are paid for by the towns around it, not the casino, much like the traffic concerns that have already been mentioned. The local bars and restaurants (At least in CT) are at such a ridiculous disadvantage, that most of them have folded or gone under. You can smoke in the casino, and in the bars in the casino, while it's illegal at every other restaurant/bar in the entire state, and that makes a huge difference to a bar owner.

The casinos contribute a lot of tax revenue, it's a fixed percentage of their slot revenue (I believe 25%) but like any other tax, the government pisses it away, and you can't really see any of the benefit after a few years go by. We still have a huge financial shortage in our state and the towns, they just blow the money on stupid self-interest group crap.

They do bring a lot of entertainers to the area, the only problem is, those tickets go to the gamblers, not so much the general public. I tried to get Fleetwood Mac tickets last week for my gf's birthday. $125 and $250 per seat. Simon and Garfunkel were over $250 for cheap seats if I remember right, and the rates at the hotels are close to the same, $300 or so per night, and that's if you can get a room.

The casino's have this ingenious method of bringing in new workers, they actually import them from other countries. We see a gigantic influx of Polish speaking people who are hired into jobs with the casino's for a few months, the casino pays their airfare and deducts it from their pay, and then naturally, never leave when the work visa expires. You'd think with 9.5%+ unemployment rates, they'd be able to hire from the local population.

The real kicker for the Mohegans is that they're currently only using 240 acres for the entire facility. Their federal recognition allows them to claim up to 700 acres as "Reservation".

Needless to say, I'm not a fan.