Casinos

[KevK]

Originally Posted by MathmanMathman

The old World of Coca-Cola was supposed to be the long promised Georgia History Museum.

Las Vegas basically markets itself as a den of sin "What happens in Vegas..." I'm not to keen on having the Atlanta's nexus point as our adult entertainment center. Although it would be convenient access for our Georgia lawmakers. And I'm not kidding.

We wouldn't have a nexus point. We would just be somethin for everyone! Got the family stuff by Centennial Park, got the adult stuff at Underground, got the shopping stuff in Buckhead!

[tonygeorgia]

I dont understand the people who complain about casinos for religious reasons but those are the same people that have had sex b4 marriage, some smoke, and some drink. I dont agree with people who only look down on certain "sins" but these are the same people who are fornicating, cursing, etc.

How can we not have a casino but it is ok to sell cigarettes which kills 600k people a year from second hand smoke? We cant have a casino but the lottery is ok? Most of the people who are against the casino will be first in line to accept a full scholarship for their child which is funded by the state lottery. So we can defend this country at the age of 18, you can have sex b4 marriage, you can vote, become a stripper, etc at the age of 18 but Atlanta should not build a casino? I dont understand some people

[tonygeorgia]

BTW...I dont gamble, I just think the argument is dumb

[MathmanMathman]

Originally Posted by tonygeorgia

I dont understand the people who complain about casinos for religious reasons but those are the same people that have had sex b4 marriage, some smoke, and some drink. I dont agree with people who only look down on certain "sins" but these are the same people who are fornicating, cursing, etc.

How can we not have a casino but it is ok to sell cigarettes which kills 600k people a year from second hand smoke? We cant have a casino but the lottery is ok? Most of the people who are against the casino will be first in line to accept a full scholarship for their child which is funded by the state lottery. So we can defend this country at the age of 18, you can have sex b4 marriage, you can vote, become a stripper, etc at the age of 18 but Atlanta should not build a casino? I dont understand some people

Maybe it's a question for some but to me it's a question of where is the best place to put it. Even non-religious people would probably raise questions about putting in a Gold Club or Cheetah at Centennial Park. A casino might not be on that level but it is a similar issue.

[MathmanMathman]

Originally Posted by KevK

We wouldn't have a nexus point. We would just be somethin for everyone! Got the family stuff by Centennial Park, got the adult stuff at Underground, got the shopping stuff in Buckhead!

Yeah but the public transportation lines (MARTA) converge at Underground. It's a question of image and even public safety.

[MathmanMathman]

Originally Posted by DTL3000

I think it can only happen if we get a heavy hitter in the casino business to commit to opening a casino/hotel here. Someone like Harrah's or the Horseshoe. I think it could possibly work if they could build a couple hotels around Underground. Something needs to be done there for sure.

Combine that with a dedicated effort in both making the area safe and more welcoming to tourists and it just may work.

I'm sure we could find one and I'm sure all backers of the project would "promise" safety, but what is the guarantee?

[testa50]

People seem not to have much issue with the casino in New Orleans.

But anyways, I think the state should just license a handful of megacasinos out in the countryside. For instance: one off of I-95 with decent access to a beach and Savannah, one halfway between Atlanta and Chattanooga, and one somewhere in extreme southwest Georgia.

These locations fleece off of some convenient geographic facts:

- The Florida panhandle is a major vacation spot but has no real casinos--could be located just a few minutes off of I-10. Boost to SW Georgia economy.
- Tons of people drive down I-95 to get to the beach. This would be the closest real, full-service casino for people in SC & NC, and would be more convenient/year round for VA and DC people than Atlantic City.
- Atlanta is ridiculously underserved by real casinos, as is Nashville. Locating towards the TN border would draw strongly on both markets. Add in a huge amount of Midwest-to-Florida traffic on 75. Market as a place to stay if wanting to see Chattanooga.

Locating in the countryside has a ton of advantages for gaming, as the whole thing can basically turn into a big resort.

A casino in Atlanta is an okay idea but it will be almost impossible to get a full service casino resort in downtown. Something like Harrah's New Orleans is really all we can hope for.

If I were to do whatever I wanted it would be a monster redevelopment of Lenox with a casino and multiple hotel towers. That could actually approach Vegas in terms of style and quality.

A standalone urban casino would probably work pretty well in Savannah.

[DTL3000]

Originally Posted by MathmanMathman

I'm sure we could find one and I'm sure all backers of the project would "promise" safety, but what is the guarantee?

I lived in Shreveport for a couple years and although I never really was into gambling, I liked what they did with their riverfront. It's a fairly compact area with about four or five casinos straddling the river. They were putting together a pretty impressive entertainment district, especially considering the city's size, when I left in the mid 00's. Of course that is their one and only entertainment district so they can pour all their resources into it. Atlanta arguably has several.

About the only way to ensure safety is to beef up police presence and enforce an absolute ban on panhandling. Maybe have the casinos pay into a police fund or something?