Should Prescott & Jerome legalize commercial gambling? (hotels, casinos)

[Hschlick84]

This is wishful thinking in my opinion. Could the city of Prescott legalize commercial gambling (outside Indian reservations)? Reasons for this is the boost tax revenue, stimulate the economy and bring jobs to the area. Would this be a statewide voting initiative? If legalized, we could see small casinos popup in downtown and across the street from the county courthouse.

Other small mountain town cities with commercial gambling

Deadwood, SD
Blackhawk/Central City, CO

Pros:

- Stimulate economy
- Tax revenue for city
- More jobs
- More restaurants
- Brings back some of missing western culture

Cons:

- Increased crime
- More traffic on local streets
- Loitering & riff raff
- When downturn in economy, casinos lose money
- Less income spent on entertainment establishments

[Hschlick84]

I bring this up because look at both cities, they're culturally similar to Prescott.

Deadwood, SD




Blackhawk, CO

[keninaz]

And how is the city supposed to overrule the state law on gambling?
Don't think so.

[YetiMan]

Great photos of Deadwood. No for me on the gambling

[Hschlick84]

Originally Posted by keninaz

And how is the city supposed to overrule the state law on gambling?
Don't think so.

The city won't overrule the law, it will have to be a modification to state constitution, which would allow legalized limited gambling in the city limits of Prescott. People would have to vote for the amendment statewide whether they want to legalize it in Prescott.

[Bondurant]

Our esteemed legislators will not allow us to gamble online as a concession to the tribal gaming monopoly. No chance they'll change state law even if it's right to do so.

I believe gambling should be legal anywhere and would support Prescott (or any town in AZ) in said endeavor.

[Hschlick84]

I agree, we should technically legalize statewide but that's not going to happen anytime soon as the Indian reservations have a monopoly on gaming currently. I really want to see Prescott or even Jerome set the leading examples for the first small cities introducing commercial gambling. Personally, there shouldn't be a reason to be against it unless you're a NIMBY or don't like economic growth.

A Denver Post article stating that legalized gambling has paid off once it passed in 1990. 'In 2007 alone (the most recent year for which complete statistics have been compiled), Colorado’s casinos paid $191 million in salaries, wages, payroll taxes and employee benefits, and more than $127 million in state gaming taxes and local taxes and fees.'
https://www.denverpost.com/2009/02/0...in-black-hawk/

[k2rider]

Originally Posted by keninaz

And how is the city supposed to overrule the state law on gambling?
Don't think so.

The same way the states are "overruling" (actually violating) Federal law with their marijuana laws.

[keninaz]

What you have to ask yourself when it comes to modification of anything the state controls is what is in it for the politicians to motivate them to do anything.
And then the Indian casinos might just want to try and stop it too.
I read somewhere that you only have to have some land and be 25% native Indian to qualify for a casino at one time.
In our travels we have seen them everywhere, or so it seems.
Personally we don't gamble and never have other than in our younger days when we would play blackjack with $40 or so each for awhile until it was gone.
The last time we were in Las Vegas (last Sept) the only people I saw at the tables regardless of the time of day or night seemed to be Japanese or Chinese.
I don't think we have dropped a dime on gambling in some 40 years now. I always lived with the idea that you should not gamble if you cannot afford to lose and the odds are not with you in the casinos, that is why they exist.
Yet the tribal casinos seem to do well in this area.

[Hschlick84]

I rarely ever gamble, limit myself to $20-$40 the most and know when to stop. However, I think this is welcoming to the area from an economic standpoint as it will offer jobs to people who need them besides what's limited in the area. Not only that, but you will see more hotels, bars and higher end restaurants businesses pop up around here.

With Jerome, it would be the most beneficial to that town as it's smaller in population. From an optimistic viewpoint, the Indian tribal casinos should welcome new competition, it will only enhance their efforts.