Casinos have been vital partners
In Response to “The Ills Casinos Bring”

If Derrick Jackson had bothered to talk with anyone actually living in a casino community for his recent article (“The ills casinos bring,” March 4, 2008), he would have seen that the casinos in Mississippi, New Jersey and Nevada are vital partners in these states’ economic redevelopment – a partnership mirrored in communities across the country.

Instead, Jackson conveniently blames casinos for each state’s supposed shortcomings, arguing existing casinos have just not brought enough change.  In fact, casinos reduce welfare payments and unemployment rates, lower local residents’ tax burden and create infrastructure improvements that otherwise wouldn’t be possible. How’s that for the status quo?

Jackson criticizes casinos for their capital investments in Atlantic City and Las Vegas, but reinvesting in host communities creates new jobs, stimulates the local economy and revitalizes local tourism. That’s commitment lots of other industries can’t claim.

Nowhere has that commitment been stronger than along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, casinos set up relief funds, continued to provide salary and benefits for their employees while properties were rebuilt, and are continuously singled out by community leaders for their recovery efforts.  Actual research would have turned up these facts, but clearly facts weren’t the focus of this utterly misguided piece.

Sincerely,

Frank J. Fahrenkopf, Jr.
President and CEO
American Gaming Association