STATESIDE I strongly reject the “prey” characterization. Global gaming
has spent millions on responsible gaming prevention and treatment. Does Baker really think excessive gambling excludes the rich?
I’ve known people whose compulsive gambling cost them their families and successful businesses. Just like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Gamblers Anonymous (GA) participants are young and old, rich and poor. Baker’s sales pitch emphasizes increased evening tourist foot
traffic on the upscale Fifth Avenue promenade, which closes up with the shops. His advocacy coalition includes community and Broadway groups. They will face at least five billionaire competitors with their
own ideas. Stefan Soloviev, one of America’s largest landowners, and Connecticut’s Mohegan tribe propose a six-acre, $3 billion hotel/ entertainment complex on a dormant Midtown Eastside site south of the United Nations. New York Mets baseball team owner Steve Cohen seeks a
gaming partnership to construct a casino in Queens at his Citi Field baseball park. Music mogul Jay-Z, real estate developer SL Green and Caesars hope to jointly build a Times Square casino without the Broadway League’s backing. I support that opposition. Covid only exacerbated already
increasing crime statistics. Months ago, I described how dangerous the famed 42nd Street neighborhood and subways had become. Inviting thousands to spend and/or win money and then walk
on these streets scares me. Police are warning consumers everywhere about quick criminal attacks at ATMs or distracting people while stealing from them. Sadly, I haven’t visited New York City since 2019 and have
little desire to return anytime soon. I formerly frequented New York City multiple times each year for theater or other events. The police get little assistance from city or state officials. Broadway and restaurants aren’t enough to lure me back.
Less expensive, quality theater and great dining are everywhere. Also, fewer people now consider Manhattan, and the four outer boroughs, their home or job site. With residents leaving New York weekly, their actual customer traffic may not meet projections. Conversely, the smaller scale Saks venture could succeed if
done right. Most larger casinos offer a designated hi-limit gaming area for high rollers seeking privacy and exclusivity. Baker wants to contrast those huge venues that often attract
mass customer bases who often behave badly. He should recognize it is the customers’ behavior…not the casino “preying” on them.
Photo by Johnell Pannell On a rainy May 1978 night, Resorts Atlantic City opened. My
sister, her husband and thousands of others withstood the downpour while standing in line on the Boardwalk. It represented the very first casino operation anywhere outside of Nevada. Everyone was beautifully dressed and the early casinos enforced a dress code. It reminded me of when my parents took me to London for my
18th birthday. In those days-don’t guess the year-one “joined” a club as a member after 24-48 hours of residency in London. Being of age and feeling
sophisticated, we joined the beautiful Victoria Sporting Club. Who knows if it is still open, but I kept my membership card in a drawer. Will the Saks model start a trend
in other metro regions with affluent residents and tourists? Maybe, if promoted as a niche market. Chicago comes to mind. Bally’s is
developing its downtown 30-acre $1.7 billion Bally’s Chicago casino, hotel and entertainment complex near chic Michigan Avenue. They could segment an area similar to a hotel concierge floor that caters to more prosperous guests. Good policies and competent leadership will attract
customers. In Chicago, Mayor Lori Lightfoot will soon be gone and it can’t come soon enough. Her disastrous four-year tenure brought soaring crime rates, destructive Covid restrictions, school shutdowns and unstable business operations. Residents rejected Lightfoot’s inferior leadership as she
exempted herself from her own decrees. Although she closed beauty salons in 2020, Lightfoot’s salon opened to color her hair. Her explanation? Her public position demanded she look good. Lightfoot is the first Democrat to not be reelected in 40 years. Maybe voters get it after all. Defeat incompetency, elect
Photo by Vidar Nordli-Mathisen
good leaders and businesses, including casinos, will flourish everywhere.
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