Casino Quotes NoCasinoGettysburg org Why the first two proposals failed to get a license



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Casino Quotes NoCasinoGettysburg.org

Why the first two proposals failed to get a license:

The Gettysburg area itself is primarily a rural area without large population centers nearby to sustain the casino”…During the public input hearings in April and May,2006, community group representatives and individual members of the community testified overwhelmingly in opposition to the project. Opposition was strongest in relation to the proximity of the casino to the historic Gettysburg battlefield areas and the effect the casino would have on the traditionally rural nature of the community.” from PGCB reasons for rejecting Crossroads, http://gamingcontrolboard.pa.gov/files/adjudications/Cat2_AL_OA.pdf



An unacceptably large portion of local residents do not want a licensed facility to be operated in Adams County.” From PGCB reasons for rejecting a 600 slots resort proposal at Eisenhower Inn, referencing the Terry Madonna poll sponsored by Mason Dixon. http://gamingcontrolboard.pa.gov/files/orders/Orders_and_%20Adjudication_Nemacolin_Licensing_Decision_20110520.pdf

Neither the first or second proposal ever received a single yes vote from the PGCB.



The number of citizens in America who believe state-sanctioned gambling has been a spectacular failure continues to build unstoppable momentum. The most recent example of this is New Jersey, a state government that has sanctioned gambling as much as any state in the US. In a recent (12/16) poll, an astonishing 62% of NJ citizens said, “gambling has not been good for the state." http://www.njgamblingsites.com/6352/poll-on-atlantic-city-gambling/

What if it’s built and no one comes?

Horse racing as a sport has reached a nadir, the lowest point, not just in the Commonwealth but across the United States.”…”The market for casino gambling has become saturated and the money casino operators…are able to ply from casino patrons is beginning to plateau.” …The downward trend in revenue is likely attributable to competition from new casinos in Ohio, Maryland and New York.” Horse Racing in Pennsylvania, Joint State Government Commission, General Assembly report 3/2017 http://jsg.legis.state.pa.us

The whole phenomenon of racetrack casinos has really been a sham,” he said. “It’s done virtually nothing to increase the demand for horse races.” Bill Eadington, director of the Institute for the Study of Gambling and Commercial Gaming at the University of Nevada

Even if it succeeds, is it Economic Development?

Although casino profits and taxes are highly visible, they are invalid measures of social benefits because they do not adjust for the entire economy for the lost profits and taxes of competing businesses.” Business Profitability Versus Social Profitability: Evaluating Industries with Externalities, The Case of the Casino Industry


By Earl L. Grinols and David B. Mustard

During the four years after casinos began to operate in Atlantic City, New Jersey, the number of retail businesses declined by one-third, and the number of restaurants was down-sized from 243 to 146. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0261517714002441

From “Why Casinos Matter: 31 Evidence-Based Propositions from the Health and Social Sciences” 2013 Institute for American Values.org www.americanvalues.org



Casinos typically weaken nearby businesses. “There appears to be at least one exception to the rule that casinos weaken nearby business. Regional casinos do seem to promote the flourishing of nearby pawn shops, check cashing operations, and …payday lenders.”

Casinos extract wealth from communities. “The fundamental economic dynamic of a regional casino is taking dollars out of the community, not bringing dollars into the community.”

Casinos generate jobs, but many of the jobs are reported to be minimal wage/ low paying opportunities, with a few experienced gaming professionals filling the management positions.” “Why Casinos Matter: 31 Evidence-Based Propositions from the Health and Social Sciences” 2013 Institute for American Values.org www.americanvalues.org

On 4/26/17 there are 33 job openings at Hollywood Casino in Grantville, 7 FT, 26 PT. http://www.hollywoodpnrc.com/Careers This casino has had a 40% turnover rate, high for “good jobs”. Table games dealers start at 7.35 per hr. https://www.glassdoor.com/Salary/Hollywood-Casino-Salaries-E640669.htm

Casinos typically hurt property values in host communities. A study by the National Association of Realtors says the impact of a casino on the local housing market is “unambiguously negative.” http://uss-mass.org/documents/NationlAssocationRealtors-Casino-Research.pdf



Do casinos help communities grow? Recent Census data for Erie, PA, Washington County, PA and Adams County show they do not. The data shows that from 2010-2016 Erie shrank 1.6%, Washington grew 0.1%, and Adams grew 0.8%.  Erie is home to Presque Isle Downs, and Washington is home to the Meadows. Both counties received $10 million Local Share Assessments from casinos to spur development.  Neither has shown the growth of Adams.  If casinos were so great and attracted business and people then one would think that Erie and Washington would be outperforming Adams in population growth. But such is not the case! Adams is doing better without a racino. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/table/PST045215/42049,42125,42001

Retail Sales in Casino Towns in Iowa were much less than retail sales in non-casino towns in the same period. Fairchild, L, Impact of Casinos on Retail Sales in Mid-Size Iowa Cities, 2005, http://nocasinogettysburg.org/economic-development.html

Will A Racino Hurt our Heritage Tourism?The cultural and heritage segments should fulfill their important role in the travel and tourism industry by increasing understanding of the significance of authenticity and its effect on visitation, marketing and branding. Travel and tourism industry professionals should recognize visitors’ desires to experience the “real America,” which can best be done through its historic sites and monuments, its living traditions and landscapes, museums and other cultural organizations, and, above all else, its people.”” The cultural and heritage tourism industry should develop alliances and messages that effectively convey the public benefits of its industry, including but not limited to economic value, authentic experiences, and “sense of place”. A Position Paper on Cultural and Heritage Tourism in the United States, http://www.pcah.gov/sites/default/files/05WhitePaperCultHeritTourism_2.pdf

If they build a casino I won’t come back.” Numerous heritage tourists interviewed in Gettysburg. A racino, no matter how well-designed, will change the brand identity of Gettysburg.

Heritage tourism research on why people visit battlefields and what they expect:


  1. A desire to learn more about their history and culture,

  2. To feel a sense of place and time with what occurred on the historic site (personal experience), and

  3. An authentic experience based on presentation and preservation.”


Tourism to the Vicksburg NMP fell by 40.05% from 1993 to 2008, when the first casinos were opened. If 45.4% of the tourists visiting Gettysburg were to stop coming, the tourist revenue for the town and the businesses surrounding the battlefield could be devastating. Based on the CWPT (2006) study, we know that $121.1 million was spent by tourists in 2003. If 45.4% of heritage tourists stopped coming to Gettysburg, the total loss of revenue would be $54.9 million”. Violet Clark, MPA/MPP, GAMBLING WITH GETTYSBURG: A CROSS-SECTOR STUDY OF THE POSSIBLE EFFECTS OF A CASINO ON THE GETTYSBURG HERITAGE TOURISM INDUSTRY, 2010 http://nocasinogettysburg.org/economic-development.html
Will the Casino Draw More Tourists? Or Just Suck $$ out of Locals?

Mason Dixon Downs is a Locals Casino “The typical visitor to non-destination casinos such as Maryland Live! lives within about a 30-minute drive, said Jeff Hooke, a Bethesda-based gambling analyst. http://stoppredatorygambling.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/2013-Casinos-drawing-mostly-local-crowds.pdf

In 2010 Mr. LeVan proposed a Cat 3 Resort Casino at the Eisenhower Hotel, with 600 slot machines. His own materials said 88% of the proposed customers would be day trippers, with 59% driving less than ½ hour. That percentage would rise for this racino. Adams County itself would be the primary customer base, since larger towns and cities nearby, such as Frederick, are generally closer to or equidistant from surrounding casinos. Mason Dixon Resort application materials traffic study cited in Miller, K, MBA, Social Costs of Proposed Casino to Adams County, 2010, http://nocasinogettysburg.org/economic-development.html



The casino attribute that is most critical to capture a local market is “an easy drive from home”. Modern slot machines are highly addictive, and people who live within 10 miles of a casino have twice the rate of pathological gambling… Casinos depend on problem gamblers for their revenue base. Problem gamblers account for 30 to 60% of slot machine revenue. Casual players comprised 75% of players but contribute only 4% of net gambling revenue.” Natasha Schull, Addiction by Design: Machine Gambling in Las Vegas, Princeton U. Press, 2012




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