Summary
Las Vegas may have another local competitor which may cost more jobs there than it creates in Ohio. I also have to ask if Ohio has appropriate people to properly regulate Casino action in the state. Lakes is a strong company and I believe would operate a good property, but it will be interesting to see how the tribal gaming machine will respond.
Analysis
Do casino's create jobs, yes. Do casinos make gambling addicts, no, but they do offer up the facilitation of the problem. Don't bars do the same thing, yes, but society accepts them. We accept some forms of addiction much better than others though they all cause similar problems of lost productivity and family ruin. When you break down the arguments it really only has two questions to answer. First, how are they to be taxed (Private vs Tribal). Secondly, how do we regulate them. Casinos can be overtaxed as well as over regulated but they must be held accountable to society. They are like any business a burden on the community as well as an opportunity for employment and tax revenue. The regulatory side which is truly what is in play here must decide on the best coarse of action private or Tribal. I personally believe as long as regulators learn about the industry prior to making decisions and stick to best practice and general sound choices all will fair well. The real question is can we trust our regulators to do this?
