Interesting ad, it that it implies that if you have casinos, you will become like St. Louis (shudder, shudder).

Sad that my hometown becomes a cautionary tale for the rest of the country.

Good thing the camera didn’t move back a block to catch the $400 million development going on just behind that building. That would have ruined the ad.

The ad could have used demolition footage from the Switzer Building. The Laclede’s Landing Redevelopment Corporation and city government’s fixation on casinos has cost us that building as well as a healthy and vital riverfront area north of the Arch.

Casinos only take money away from people. They get absolutely nothing in return. This is especially detrimental for those who don’t have much in the first place. We really don’t need casinos in St. Louis because he does make a good point. The Admiral really has done nothing for the surrounding area. Perhaps if it was a cruising riverboat, rather than a casino, that would be different?

Ignoring some of the more shady casinos, if you look at places like Vegas, the economic gap between the people who work in the expensive casinos and those who own them is huge. Vegas has a huge underclass of people working in the Casinos. And the illegals who are basically slaves, distributing fliers for hookers on the streets, that is even more disturbing. Maybe if people first have decent jobs, then well maybe then its ok for the City to allow a business to exist which only takes their money?

If Casinos produce so much tax revenue, then why has the North riverfront looked like this for so long? Where is the money going? Maybe we should ask Jeff Smith. I am guessing he has more experience with the issue than the rest of us.

Doug,

Do you gamble at casinos? I don’t.

It’s a personal choice, and there are programs for people with gambling problems.

Given your libertarian stance, I’d think you’d favor gambling, and be rooting for prostitution as well.

What the heck, that’s how it used to be in St. Louis.

I’m rooting for prostitution,as a matter of fact I’m going to go find a hooker now!

This is a pretty misleading ad as the decay of the urban industry on the riverfront pre-dates the arrival of the casinos, and ultimately is totally unrelated.

Personal choice assumes people are rational. But besides that, where are these millions of dollars in tax dollars going? The problems of the riverfront did begin with deindustrialization, but some of those tax dollars could be used to get the buildings rehabbed and I think the ad makes a good point regarding casinos as economic development. What do they develop if not the immediate area surrounding it which does need help? Where can people look to and say that was done partially with casino revenue?

Where can people look to and say that was done partially with casino revenue?

Lumière Place, $430 million.

Doug Duckworth, a libertarian?

Have you read some of the stuff he has written? He may be right, he may be wrong, but he is not a libertarian.

If Casino’s are such an accepted form of commerce, why are we still building them on a film of ‘water’ to comply ( read…loophole ) the original intent of ‘Riverboat Gambling’ ( referencing….’that’s how it used to be’ )?
…coming into town from the airport, the dominating aspect of the skyline from your cab is Lumiere Place.
…there’s boxes in the backroom for packing all that cash…just like in all the ‘big box’ stores. cash spent once, and then exported…outsourced…flim flammed…and gone!