Las Vegas-style gambling resorts coming to Florida?

I'm not talking about dog racing. And I won't get into a discussion about dog racing since as a youth I walked the dogs before a race at the Pueblo dog track.

I've been in the card room at Ebro and I've been in the card room at the Venetian in Las Vegas. I can assure you that the two are light years apart.

For all the people who want to save casino patrons from themselves, are you willing to petition for the ban of the Florida Lottery? The expected value of a lottery purchase runs around 50%, meaning you get back 50 cents for every dollar wagered. These odds are criminal. Lotteries are a brutal tax on the poor and desperate.

A casino, on the other hand, offers games with casino edges ranging from around 1-20%. It also has places to eat, see shows, go shopping, and draws tourists who may not have otherwise visited.

I lived in Las Vegas and while the locals casinos could be pretty depressing, the resorts like the Wynn, Bellagio, Venetian, etc. offer a lot more than just gambling. I'd go so far as to say that the gambling becomes secondary at some point. Most people go to those places for the total experience. Florida could do it right and bring in a lot more tourists.

Gamblers can already lose money on the internet, but because our state and federal governments are brain dead all the profits and jobs for that lie overseas.

Look, people gamble, and most of them do it responsibly. Of course some people will wreck their lives gambling. Just like some will with alcohol, prescription drugs, sex, eating, TV, world of warcraft, etc etc.

If Florida did it right and allowed only high class operations it would be a win for the economy and for the grown-ups, the majority of whom are responsible and don't really need a hypocritical nanny state holding their hands to protect them from the evils of gambling, all the while selling them lotto tickets with a 50% vig.

For all the people who want to save casino patrons from themselves, are you willing to petition for the ban of the Florida Lottery? The expected value of a lottery purchase runs around 50%, meaning you get back 50 cents for every dollar wagered. These odds are criminal. Lotteries are a brutal tax on the poor and desperate.

A casino, on the other hand, offers games with casino edges ranging from around 1-20%. It also has places to eat, see shows, go shopping, and draws tourists who may not have otherwise visited.

I lived in Las Vegas and while the locals casinos could be pretty depressing, the resorts like the Wynn, Bellagio, Venetian, etc. offer a lot more than just gambling. I'd go so far as to say that the gambling becomes secondary at some point. Most people go to those places for the total experience. Florida could do it right and bring in a lot more tourists.

Gamblers can already lose money on the internet, but because our state and federal governments are brain dead all the profits and jobs for that lie overseas.

Look, people gamble, and most of them do it responsibly. Of course some people will wreck their lives gambling. Just like some will with alcohol, prescription drugs, sex, eating, TV, world of warcraft, etc etc.

If Florida did it right and allowed only high class operations it would be a win for the economy and for the grown-ups, the majority of whom are responsible and don't really need a hypocritical nanny state holding their hands to protect them from the evils of gambling, all the while selling them lotto tickets with a 50% vig.

I agree, if Florida wants gambling I say bring it on. The point of my post was that casinos are not all sugar and spice, there is a huge down side and you should not act surprised when these problems surface. The jobs provided are for the most part well paying. My brother loved his job and said it was the easiest money he ever made.

I will confess my opinion of casinos changed when my brother suddenly died one morning while dressing for work. The casino had been deducting money from his check for his life insurance but not paying the insurance company. We felt this was just a clerical error and not a conspiracy or anything evil. The sad part is instead of them stepping up and doing the right thing his widow had to retain an attorney and sue for the money. It took over one year and cost her 20% of the amount for the atty. fee. I shouldn't have been surprised by their actions, after all they were in the gambling business.