The reports are out and Atlantic City casinos are losing revenue. Rather than give the casinos additional tools to bring in more customers, Atlantic City Councilmen are preventing casinos from bringing in smoking patrons. The Vice Squad comments:
Since legal casinos opened in Atlantic City in the late 1970s, gambling revenues went up every year — until 2007. The decline continued through the first three months of 2008, with a 6.4% drop relative to the same period last year.
What event(s) coincides with the time frame? Regional gaming competition and the smoking ban. Atlantic City cannot stop other sovereign states from opening gaming establishments. Atlantic City can aid the casino industry in making the town cleaner – which they are not; providing smooth roads – which they are not; and aiding the casinos in attracting patrons, which the smoking ban does not. The smoking ban dissuades a considerable group of patrons from making the trip, when they can go elsewhere and enjoy smoking while gambling.
The smoking ban is yet another example of politics done poorly in a city with a long and corrupt track record.
“Atlantic City”
by Thomas Carlson
(Viewing – http://www.mnartists.org/work.do?rid=187397)
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