Are Table Games Beneficial?

With all the talk of whether or not table games are going to pass the Senate, now that they have passed the House of Delegates of West Virginia, and all the talk about how they have to add them to the existing slot machines to save their revenue, one man has said that you need to take an academic approach to the issue and see where you stand.

That man is Cal Kent, the VP for Business and Economic Research at Marshall University, and he says that people are asking the wrong questions. He says that they need to ask if they should be allowed, and if they are, under what rules and structure do they operate? He and his staff have taken into consideration more than fifty studies that show information from both sides of the gambling issue. He said the study is completely neutral, as he is looking at it purely academically.

He says that although the normal cost-benefit analysis for slot machine and casino gambling is normally at $1 revenue for every $1.90 in costs, he says that does not have to be true in WV. He says that they can put the casinos near the state’s borders, and therefore they will grab more of the “external dollars” as well as internal ones. He said that if they are near highways, they will grab the tourists as well.

He also says that they should make them not just about slot machines and table games, that they should be “destinations” with hotels and restaurants, and things to keep the interest of others. This way, those that wouldn’t come for just the gambling would come for the other attractions as well. He also stated that ATM’s should not be allowed in order to help those that cannot help themselves.


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