Portsmouth Rolls the Dice

Portsmouth, from time to time, has been a troubled city. And like many troubled cities, Portsmouth has embraced casino gambling as a possible solution for improvement. Rivers Casino recently opened, yet there are already reasons to expect the casino to disappoint everyone involved: the city looking for tax revenues, the workers hoping for jobs, or the investors expecting hefty returns. From the kerfuffle opening week about the abundance of cigarette smoke to the news in early May about unlicensed slots in use and minors gambling at the tables, the first few months have been anything but smooth sailing.

Outside of Las Vegas—which now only accounts for 20% of the gaming industry nationwide—casino gambling has evolved into a downscale business. Affluent and educated people visit casinos less often than poorer people do for the same reasons that the affluent smoke less, drink less and weigh less. Unfortunately for the casino industry’s growth hopes, downscale America has less money to spend today than it did before 2019. Nor is downscale America sharing much in the recovery. That being said, commercial casinos in the United States won more than $60 billion from gamblers in 2022, the best year in the industry’s history. Figures released February 15, 2023 by the American Gaming Association, the gambling industry’s national trade group, show that in-person gambling remains the bread and butter of the industry, accounting for more than 80% of its revenue. Online betting provided nearly a fifth of the industry’s revenue. Tribal gaming in 2022 was projected at $41 billion—add that to the above amount and take a deep breath.

For the record here are the top 10 casino income generators across the country: the Las Vegas Strip ($8.2 billion, up 17%); Atlantic City ($2.8 billion, up 8.5%); Baltimore-Washington D.C. ($2.2 billion, up 8.7%); the Chicago region

[ by berry brunk ]

spanning parts of Illinois and Indiana ($2.1 billion, up 6.1%); the Mississippi Gulf coast ($1.6 billion, down 0.5%); New York City ($1.5 billion, up 2.6%); Philadelphia ($1.4 billion, down 1.8%); Detroit ($1.3 billion, down 1.4%); the St. Louis market spanning parts of Missouri and Illinois ($1.1 billion, up 3.6%); and the Boulder Strip in Nevada ($966 million, virtually flat compared with last year).

Casinos that do stay in business yield less to their towns and states. Revenues from Maryland’s first casino, in Perryville at the northern tip of Chesapeake Bay, dropped 30 percent from their peak earnings in 2008, and are expected to decline even more rapidly in the future as competitors proliferate.

Yet the truly bad news about casinos is not found in the tax receipts. It’s found in the casinos’ economic and social impact on the towns that welcome them.

Until the late 1970s, no state except Nevada permitted casino gambling. Then Atlantic City persuaded its state legislature to allow casinos, in hope of reviving the prosperity of the battered resort town. Hotels sprung up along the seafront and thousands of people were hired. Yet the rest of Atlantic City saw no benefits at all. All these years later, it still has desperate trouble sustaining even a single grocery store.

No one should look to casinos to revive cities, because that’s not what casinos do. But it has taken a surprisingly long time for city governments to acknowledge a fact that was well understood by the 19thcentury Americans who suppressed gambling in the decades after the Civil War.

The impact of casinos on neighboring property values is “unambiguously negative,” according to the economists at the National Association of Realtors. Casinos do not encourage non-gaming businesses to open nearby, because the people who most often visit casinos do not wander out to visit other shops and businesses. A casino is not like a movie theater or a sports stadium, offering a time-limited amusement. It is designed to be an all-absorbing environment that does not release its customers until they have exhausted their money. The Institute for American Values has gathered the best evidence on the social consequences of casinos. That evidence should worry any responsible city government.

People who live close to a casino are twice as likely to become problem gamblers as people who live more than 10 miles away.

As casino expansion reaches its limits, the towns and cities that turned to gambling to escape their problems may discover that they have accepted a sucker’s bet: local economies that look worse than ever, local residents tempted into new forms of selfdestructive behavior, and a dwindling flow of cash to show for it all. With the enormous growth of FanDuel and other sports betting sites, or the 2023 advent of Ethereum gambling, those who want to spin the wheels, beat the dealer on a hot hand or roll the dice do not even have to leave their house to do so.

Berry Brunk is the president and publisher of Boulevard Media, LLC. He has worked with many Native American communities on both coasts to help them with technology, healthcare and economic development projects.

Pros of GamblingLegalized

Revenue for Governments: One of the main arguments in favor of legalized gambling is that it generates significant revenue for governments. Casinos and other gambling establishments pay taxes on their revenues, which can be used to fund various public services, such as education and healthcare. Additionally, governments can also earn revenue from licensing fees and other charges.

Job Creation: Legalized gambling creates jobs in the construction, operation, and maintenance of casinos and other gambling establishments. Additionally, it also generates jobs in the hospitality, retail, and service sectors. This can lead to increased economic activity and lower unemployment rates.

Tourism: Legalized gambling can attract tourists to an area, which can help to boost the local economy. Casinos, in particular, are often considered tourist attractions.

Consumer Protection: Legalized gambling ensures that establishments are regulated, monitored, and audited for fair play and the protection of players. This also allows for the identification and exclusion of problem gamblers.

Cons of GamblingLegalized

Addiction: One of the main arguments against legalized gambling is that it can lead to addiction. Gambling addiction can have serious consequences, including financial ruin and mental health problems. Additionally, gambling addiction can lead to other forms of addiction, such as substance abuse.

Crime: Legalized gambling can lead to increased crime, including theft, fraud, and embezzlement. Gambling establishments can also attract organized crime, which can lead to money laundering and other illegal activities.

Social Costs: Legalized gambling can have negative social consequences, including family problems, bankruptcy and homelessness. Additionally, it can lead to a decline in social values and moral standards.

Impact on Other Businesses: Legalized gambling can lead to the displacement of other businesses, particularly small ones. This can occur as a result of increased competition and a shift in consumer spending towards gambling establishments.

Destination: Virginia’s Northern Neck

As a teacher I wear a lanyard with the keys to the building along with my ID badge; this is housed in a case bearing the phrase “Travel is my therapy.” I really do love to travel as often as possible. Recently my wife and I drove through the Monitor-Merrimac Tunnel to Newport News and onto Route 17N (George Washington Memorial Highway) toward America’s Historic Triangle: the cities of Yorktown, Jamestown, and Williamsburg. On the first part of the drive, just before the Coleman Bridge, we turned left to enter the area known as Historic Yorktown.

Yorktown

Yorktown is where the American Revolutionary War ended. You will only drive a little distance after seeing the Victory Monument. It’s on the water’s edge with plenty of parking, so please read the inscriptions on this obelisk. Most main sites are within walking distance of Riverwalk Landing, but there are a few steep streets. You should reserve three to four hours for a quick tour. A longer, guided tour covers Colonial Williamsburg, Historic Jamestown/Jamestown Rediscovered, Jamestown Settlement, American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, and Yorktown Battlefield.

The must-sees places are the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, The Watermen’s Museum [1], and Historic Grace Episcopal Church. Along Riverwalk Landing are bed-and-breakfasts, antique stores, cafes, restaurants and gift shops.

Gloucester

Twenty miles from Yorktown we arrived in the city of Gloucester. If you want to be like the locals, pronounce the name glaa-str. Strange, but true. Gloucester is a small town on the Middle Peninsula (like most on the Northern Neck), but it has its fair share of history and charm. Gloucester County was established in 1651, just a few decades after the Jamestown Settlement in 1607. A walking tour through the city provides a glimpse of 15 sites. The entire walk will take about 30 minutes of your time with leisurely-paced foot power. The driving tour