More compelling reasons not to bank on casino revenue
The revelations by the CBC of money-laundering in certain casinos and the increasing opposition to the humungous apparition in downtown Vancouver led to a contact with Howard Stutz of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Stutz reveals that Diana Bennett, one of the partners in Paragon Gaming, learned her gaming skills watching her father, gaming pioneer William Bennett, expand his empire from Circus Circus, the Excalibur and Luxor into the Mandalay Resort Group and build a billion dollar casino business.
The mere mention of the name Circus Circus conjures up the image of Frank Sinatra, the Rat Pack, and organized crime in Vegas in the ‘70’s.
Paragon, a privately held company owned by Bennett and long-time Circus Circus executive, began with a management deal with the Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians in the Palm Springs area. It has since been revealed that this band consisted of one person.
Next came two Canadian developments with First Nations, the first being in participation with the River Cree, on the western edge of Edmonton, Alberta. This project includes a 255-room hotel, a 62,200 square-foot casino with 600 slot machines and 40 table games, plus dining, entertainments venues and two hockey rinks. The second development, in Whitecourt, Alberta, has 250 slots, 11 table games and a full-service truck stop.
Paragon currently runs the Edgewater Casino in Vancouver, BC, a facility boasting 493 slot machines and 75 gaming tables. In March 2010 the company won the rights to construct an estimated $450 million hotel-casino next to BC Place in Vancouver, BC which is destined to become Western Canada’s largest gaming and entertainment resort.
Or not.
Local residents are becoming increasing aware that the project calls for a 680,000 square-foot entertainment complex with 1500 slots, 150 tables, and two hotels. The architectural design appears to have arrived from some other reality. More disturbing are the two vestibules connecting to BC Place. One at the second level, and one at the fourth leading directly from the high limit gaming area and into the stadium’s planned luxury boxes.
Some other facts that need attention: CNN recently presented a documentary on the selling of young girls, "Selling the girl next door." Girls bought and sold online. Reporters visited several locales, including the strip in Las Vegas. Pimps reported earnings of $150,000 to $500,000 per year. The girls, some as young as 13, were virtual prisoners.
Does Vancouver have sufficient funds in its police budget to deal with this, or any place to house rescued girls?
The video below openly touts prostitution. But is this woman in the clutches of her pimp, a victim of human trafficking, or is she acting out of free will?
Promoters are suggesting this venue will attract gamblers from China. Revenues in Macau were up 66% in December 2010.
- 1
- |
- 2
- next ›
- last page »
Thank you for your coverage of this Trojan Horse issue - hidden until recently.
This story might be useful to help motivate people.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/why-we-see-no-evil/article1913885/email/
“When we pretend we don't know, we make ourselves powerless. When we turn a blind eye, what we do – or institutions do – is we deny the best of ourselves, which is our capacity to respond.”
Hey, that is a great article. Thank you for posting this link and very relevant, not just to this, but so much else. BC Rail comes to mind. We hope to educate, and motivate.
You've already got all these "vices" in Vancouver and a new casino isn't going to make them any worse. In fact, it will make them better. More tax revenue, more resources for problem gambling treatment. Stop being an alarmist. If you don't like gambling ban it throughout BC not just your little slice of heaven.
My only question: Is this an opinion article, or a news report? I'm hard-pressed to tell the difference.
"The mere mention of the name Circus Circus conjures up the image of Frank Sinatra, the Rat Pack, and organized crime in Vegas in the ‘70’s."
If you had said the Flamingo or the Sands, ok, we get it. But Circus Circus? No one links Circus Circus to any of these things. And since when is it an indictment of someone to list off successful businesses they have built or managed? Yes, God forbid someone be successful at running a casino businesse.
"More disturbing are the two vestibules connecting to BC Place."
Please define how this is disturbing. Surely you can't mean the convenience of moving between one's hotel room and or post-game entertainment (or pre-game for that matter)? I don't want to disturb you further but the SkyDome in Toronto (yes yes, the Rogers whateveritis...) has a hotel BUILT RIGHT IN! You don't even mention the fact that it's not really the casino itself that is connected; but that BC Place will now be connected to 2 hotels and 5 restaurants. Yes, horribly disturbing that people can access the stadium conveniently.
"Of course, gambling is controlled by the organized crime triads in Macau."
Yes, the first thing I think of when I think of Steve Wynn (Wynn), Sheldon Adelson (Sands), and MGM are the Triads. They probably control most of the Vegas action too, right? Or have they not broken the iron grip of Bugsy Siegel? The mob has been out of Vegas since the beginning of the 80's. The businessmen that took over Vegas are also doing the same thing in Macau.
No one suggests that gambling, legal and illegal has not had the involvement of some shady folks. However, the industry has aged and progressed. I would suggest that to win points in this debate, your arguments should do the same.
It's tagged "commentary and opinion."