Editorials

OUR OPINION: Opportunity

July 14, 2010

Casino gambling opens up options

THE WYOMING Valley and beyond have much riding on the advent of table games at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs.

For the Plains Township casino and its employees, Tuesday’s grand opening represents additional revenues, expansion and transitioning from a slot casino to a full-fledged gaming destination.

Adding poker, blackjack and other games put 450 more people on the payroll – including 300 trained dealers – to accommodate the anticipated growth. In any economy, especially one still struggling, that’s good news for many local families.

State and local governments also will reap an influx of tax revenue that should be reinvested into the community and used to help struggling homeowners with tax bills.

For the thousands of people who will visit the casino – the regular slot patrons, the table players accustomed to going out of state and newcomers – the casino represents potential: Each day the Greater Wilkes-Barre Area will be a destination point for more out-of-towners because it has an amenity that relatively few other regions possess.

It’s something to be used wisely, from a community and personal standpoint.

Businesses should strive to take advantage of the added commerce possibilities, while individuals must be cautious that they don’t get brainwashed by the lure of bonanza payoffs. In the end, the house always wins.

There are plenty of anecdotes about people trying to beat the odds, only to end up thumping themselves. Pennsylvania’s most famous gambler was onetime Philadelphia Eagles owner Leonard Tose, who had to sell his football team after dropping millions in Atlantic City in the 1980s.

Common folks also can get in over their heads. In May a Montgomery County tax collector was criminally charged with blowing $182,000 in collections at a Philadelphia suburban casino during a year-long binge.

Casino games offer a wealth of possibilities. It’s up to us, individually and collectively, to play our cards right.

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