Has The Gamble Paid Off?

Having casinos in Atlantic City would "balance taxes, create jobs, boost the economy, and cut down on street crime," the ads assured.

[casino customer]

i love going to the casinos for dinner, shows, shopping, etc. I've been to Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods too many times to count, yet I've never gambled a dime.

[Fabian]

A lot of casino customers do go for the shows, dinners, etc only. A numbert will also spend some money gambling. When I go, I budget a certain amount for gambling and that's all I'll spend. I play the slots myself and will walk away if I hit a decent payout rather than feed the money back in. I'll admit, I've never won a huge jackpot, but then I've never lost a huge amount of money either. Most people I've met on trips where I've gone to a casino, use much the same system. They're not there for the big bucks (though they all admit it would be nice) but for the entertainment value.

[Pricey222]

This story is about the city and how it has changed since the advent of casinos---not gaming per se or the kind of people who gamble, etc. The first commenter got everyone else off track.

Anyway, as for the story: yes, there is still crime, but some of it is the natural result of more people (visitors/transients). And as for the people who may not be able to get jobs (or don't want to work for $8/hour), the unemployment rate in the city, itself, may not be great compared with the national average, but it's way, way better than it would have been without casinos. Unless, that is, people had continued to move out of town, skewing the stats (the population was once about 20k higher than what it is now). The pre-casino exodus was due to rotting homes and no jobs. Post-casino migration has been due to property buy-outs and the wages to allow a move to a modern home on the mainland.

In Winter, the contrast between pre- and post-approval is easier to see. In the 60's and early 70's, lines at the unemployment office were literally out the door. It was simply a way of life: you worked in the Summer and went on unemployment in the Winter. Now, there are 40,000 people working---who would not be otherwise---most year-round.

At one point in the 80's, my wife, son, two daughters and a sister-in-law were all working in the casinos, earning $35k+ in jobs requiring no more than high school/GED and a few weeks training.

[Haddam Resident]

There are plenty of homeless people in other cities without gambling...so who says it's the gambling. You see - it's always someone elses fault that there are homeless people. It's never their fault that they are too lazy to pick them self up and change that situation.

[MARKNJ]

Retired Jersey Boy wrote:

<quoted text>
Sure it can be an addiction just like anything else. I am addicted to Chocolate. Some people are addicted to booze, cigarettes, sex, gambling, WHO CARES...

Right on!!! Who Cares!!!

[CPP]

The casino's are there to make money BOTTOM LINE not give it back to the community. Period !!!!!!
Those who believe the opposite are saddly mistaken.
Why would you leave your fate in the hands of a casino, you create and make your own destiny.
As far as slums and homeless people in AC, there are far more homeless people sleeping on the streets of our Nation's Capital....an many of them served their country in times of need when asked to do so.

[Pricey222]

CPP wrote:

The casino's are there to make money BOTTOM LINE not give it back to the community. Period !!!!!!
Those who believe the opposite are saddly mistaken.
Why would you leave your fate in the hands of a casino, you create and make your own destiny.
As far as slums and homeless people in AC, there are far more homeless people sleeping on the streets of our Nation's Capital....an many of them served their country in times of need when asked to do so.

From the casino's perspecive, yes they are here to make money; however, special taxes on the casinos of AC contribute to (1) senior citizen programs including health care and (2) a fund administered by the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority for worthy projects all over the state, some of which help with the AC infrastructure as well as low and medium-cost housing (see related story about Atlantic Ave. facelift).