Gambling revenue going could go down? Good;
DEADWOOD — Gov. Mike Rounds has refused to say whether he’ll sign the statewide smoking ban now on his desk, but he’s made it clear he has a lot to consider: Business owners’ rights. Public health concerns. The potential effect on Deadwood casinos and statewide video lottery, which funneled a combined $117 million into the state’s coffers last year.
A state economist told senators earlier this month that video lottery revenue could drop 15 to 25 percent if smoking is banned, and other states point to the possibility of casinos posting similar losses.
And I’m still trying to fathom how this is a bad thing? Gambling is a social ill that costs taxpayer’s more in crime and other financial problems than what we make from it. It also is a horrible way to fund government. I see this as a positive.
“A lot of people are saying, ‘We don’t go to Deadwood because of the smoking situation,’†he said. “If you take that away, you’ll now gain a patron.â€
And this casino owner is correct. You may actually gain MORE business because of the ban. People who are against the ban use the same old tired arguments. Enough already. Too bad there isn’t a ban on bullshit in Pierre.