When SB 79, the bill that would have allowed for two casinos to be built in Georgia, died in the Senate Regulated Industries Committee Monday, there was much discussion over why it failed and what supporters need to do to get it passed in 2018.
The general line of thought is that the business community would be behind an endeavor that would bring thousands of jobs and many thousands of visitors into the city to partake in casino gambling. The millions tax dollars, (20% of all revenue) to be poured into education and other key areas is just icing on the shiny flashing cake. Opponents of course would be wary of the vices that come along with the industry – it’s no secret that casinos go hand in hand with drinking, drugs, and ‘loose women,’ not to mention the looming specter of drunk daddies gambling away their kids’ college funds.
Moral outrage though isn’t the only reason that some oppose the idea of a casino in Atlanta. Local businesses, such as the legendary Fox Theater in midtown have their own fiscal reasons to be wary.
The end goal of a casino is to make money, (surprise surprise) and, (surprise surprise) they’re very good at it. They want to keep customers in the building spending as much money possible for as long as possible, and they know just how to achieve that goal. Part of their business model is to dominate the surrounding area, undercutting all outside restaurants and entertainment venues to make sure their clientele stays within their walls. With huge margins on gambling revenue, they can afford to take losses on their dining and entertainment offerings to make sure visitors feel no need to leave the building.
This of course is an issue for the surrounding community, much of which particularly in downtown Atlanta is based on tourism. Allan Vella, President of the Fox Theater, worked to oppose the casino legislation throughout its short lived journey through the Gold Dome this year. In a written statement he said, “Based on our knowledge, independent studies, and practices we have observed in other states, we are confident that casino venues will be a significant threat to our future and do irreparable harm.”
The Fox joined with 18 other local entertainment venues to form the Georgia Arts and Culture Venues Coalition expressly to fight the legislation, and for this year, at least, they were successful.
Bill sponsor Sen. Brandon Beach pledged this week to, “double down and plan to crisscross the state starting in April” in order to raise support for attempt number two in 2018. Part of that journey may need to be to strike some sort of agreement with Atlanta’s entertainment industry which remains petrified of a multi-billion dollar powerhouse setting up shop in their backyard.
