New details confirmed by AJC on casino legislation in Georgia (Atlanta: ski resort, buy)

[Hokiehaven]

Originally Posted by atltechdude

Nonsense. Going to a casino and playing some games because you like to play those games is not a bad decision if that's how you want to spend your entertainment budget.

It's only a bad decision in the context of addiction or if the behavior becomes unhealthy to the point that you are spending too much of your money on the habit to the detriment of your quality of life. But that can apply to virtually ANYTHING in life if you overindulge in something.

The one difference is, the casino the way it's built, every design feature, the noise, the distraction is all to spend more money, it's meant to overstimulate, it's meant to push the addictive behaviors in people already.

At the same time, I'm not going to step up and stop adults from it, it's just I'm not a proponent for it ever being in my city and certainly not within my neighborhood. If people want to do it, go ahead.

I have more issues with, this isn't the type of development downtown needs, it is growing, slower than Buckhead or Midtown, but it is growing and the trend to the city is growing quickly. So why ruin yet one more block in one of the most potential places in town with yet another huge building that will be unpedestrian friendly for relative minimal tax gains. Downtown will demand good dollar and tax dollars in the future with development anyway, so why put something that may limit it.

On the other hand, the airport land will never demand more than what this provides, it pushes it out of the way. Now if I were in College Park, I certainly wouldn't want it, but living near an airport is already a hinderance for the area.

On the flip side, an area like Buckhead, one being away from where I live sure doesn't bug me, but two is already not pedestrian friendly, further has a lack of true entertainment directly near the Lenox area, and has a strong high end shopping draw right there too, plus MARTA rail service. So I can see it as a good possibility, though it'll never happen.

[Forhall]

Originally Posted by tikigod311

I would argue that they are not the same at all as this form of "entertainment" is only "entertaining" by way of risking your personal wealth.

Gambling = Entertainment is a scam perpetuated the house. Gambling = preying on human weakness. Even if you are "smart" about it, it's always a bad decision.

Disagree with you. First, much of this money is heavily taxed and Atlanta will use it for other things, so it's not moved elsewhere. Second, casinos can absolutely be entertainment and not a risk of personal wealth. I used to live a quick, cheap flight from Vegas and my friends and I would sometimes go on weekends. We went mainly to see shows and shop, but we also went to the casinos. We would bring in $50 each and spend it on penny slots. It was a ton of fun, sometimes we would hit "jackpots" of $75 or so, but it was never more than 25 cents a spin and $50 would often last us 2+ hours playing that way. It was absolutely no risk to our personal wealth and was no different in our mind than going to an arcade for a few hours. Casinos can absolutely be a form of entertainment and not just gambling. I'd love to be able to spend a few hours on boring weekends doing the same thing right here in Atlanta with my friends.

[atltechdude]

Originally Posted by tikigod311

Perfect example!

The fun of smoking or drinking is not solely risking money. It is the "pleasure" of smoking or the effects of drinking. They actually do something, chemically. May not be a good something, but it's not just a wealth transfer device hiding behind "entertainment".

When you play a casino game and win or have the anticipation of winning, that is also doing something chemically. It's called the dopamine reward circuit.

Again, that's only a problem if you overindulge. Same as with almost anything else in life, food, drugs, tv, etc.

Many young people overindulge in video games and that can be a detriment to their lives if not corrected. Should we ban video games? A lot of the same chemical reactions going on there as an older person playing too many slots or video poker.

[atltechdude]

Originally Posted by Hokiehaven

it's meant to overstimulate, it's meant to push the addictive behaviors in people already.

So does the lottery. And that's far easier for poor people/gambling addicts to access since its for sale everywhere.

Let's stay consistent. If the lottery is staying, no reason we can't have a casino too.

[jsvh]

I don't have a problem with legalizing gambling, I am more concerned about this being another mega-development that kills street life like they do in other cities. If that is the case, build it somewhere outside of downtown.

[Hokiehaven]

Originally Posted by atltechdude

So does the lottery. And that's far easier for poor people/gambling addicts to access since its for sale everywhere.

Let's stay consistent. If the lottery is staying, no reason we can't have a casino too.

I'm not going to get into addictive behavior, but a casino if far more, but those aren't my biggest issues anyway, the street pedestrianess is the problem and Downtown doesn't need that. I'm not keen on one for the great problems they seem to bring to a city, but if it happens isolate it.

[fieldm]

Do people realize that the dome site is far away from Centennial Park dr? GWCC/Dome isnt meant to have street level retail. Thats for the other side of Marietta st

[fieldm]

Originally Posted by atltechdude

So does the lottery. And that's far easier for poor people/gambling addicts to access since its for sale everywhere.

Let's stay consistent. If the lottery is staying, no reason we can't have a casino too.

Too many hypocrites in here man smh

[atltechdude]

Also, last year's bills directed most of the tax money from the casino to Hope, so it was very similar to the lottery in that respect too. The OP says 70% goes to Hope in this one.

[magnetar]

Originally Posted by fieldm

Do people realize that the dome site is far away from Centennial Park dr? GWCC/Dome isnt meant to have street level retail. Thats for the other side of Marietta st

Still pulling claims completely out of thin air. Who says this area shouldn't have more buildings that activate the street level -- aside from you?