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Why gambling just for Hot Springs and West Memphis?


CentralArkansas

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Why in the world don't we allow other counties gambling? I would love to have a few riverboat casinos sitting right outside the rivermarket in downtown LR - talk about sparking huge development

You do bring up a point about gambling. One of the reasons it never seems to pass is because there isn't any unified voting for it. Some people don't want it near their city or town so they only want it in a couple of areas. Then other want gambling and they don't want to see just a couple of areas get all the benefits, they want it everywhere. I just wish they'd allow something and then try to work from there. I have no problems with just allowing it in Hot Springs and West Memphis at first. See how it does and maybe add other areas later. I also have no problem with adding some other cities than just those two. But I think a limited area gambling proposal would be easier to pass than just allowing gambling statewide.

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I knew that West memphis was going to vote on adding slots to Southland Park. I didn't know that Hot Springs was also talking about it. I'm not surprised. Both of these two locations have historical tie-ins to gambling and tourist industry. Hot Springs has had a number of Arkansas governors that were happy to go to the horse track, but didn't want it anywhere else in their state. West Memphis was at one time the party zone for Memphis. Pari-mutual betting is having a hard time everywhere. Casinos have appeared in so many places that betting on horses or dogs and the knowledge that might be needed to understand bets just isn't going to pass these days. Arkansas is still a Southern State and a majority don't want it, but the tracks can't compete. West Memphis isn't getting the Memphis business that it had before Tunica appeared and without slots, maybe full casinos never will. The horse track at Hot Springs was something that was considered something that you do during the season. The bath houses are not the spa attractions that they were in the past and in order to expand the tourist draw back to historic days casinos are about the only way to do it. If slots for these locations pass and it revives the tracks, they may push for more wide spread gambling. This may be true if it makes a difference in the state tax coffers.

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Just a quick note on Hot Springs: it is doing very well in the tourism industry without gambling. I basically live in downtown Hot Springs, and I'm always surprised at how busy it is....it's definitely comparable to Little Rock in that its sidewalks are always pretty crowded.

As for the gambling.....most experts predict that gambling will pass for Hot Springs and West Memphis. Truthfully, I think that once they allow it in Hot Springs and Memphis, other entrepreneurs in other counties will claim its unfair.

So, statewide legalized gambling is not far behind the legalization in Hot Springs and West Memphis.

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I do think Hot Springs struggled for a while especially after the governor finally decided to put a stop to all the illegal gambling that was going on in Hot Springs. But after some righ times it has certainly gotten a lot better. I don't think Hot Springs has to have gambling to grow but gambling has been so intertwined into Hot Springs history. Seems only fitting it reintroduce it there if you are going to have it anywhere in Arkansas. I do think Hot Springs and West Memphis make good locations. I think Pine Bluff and Ft Smith or VanBuren would make good locations also. Not sure if you would need Pine Bluff and West Memphis to have gambling but since not much is going for Pine Bluff in general it seems like a good choice. Maybe it can help get something going there. I also think a location close to the Oklahoma border to counteract Oklahoma's gambling industry would also be good. Ft Smith or Van Buren would make good choices being that close and also being rather accessable being so close to I-40.

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I do think Hot Springs struggled for a while especially after the governor finally decided to put a stop to all the illegal gambling that was going on in Hot Springs. But after some righ times it has certainly gotten a lot better. I don't think Hot Springs has to have gambling to grow but gambling has been so intertwined into Hot Springs history. Seems only fitting it reintroduce it there if you are going to have it anywhere in Arkansas. I do think Hot Springs and West Memphis make good locations. I think Pine Bluff and Ft Smith or VanBuren would make good locations also. Not sure if you would need Pine Bluff and West Memphis to have gambling but since not much is going for Pine Bluff in general it seems like a good choice. Maybe it can help get something going there. I also think a location close to the Oklahoma border to counteract Oklahoma's gambling industry would also be good. Ft Smith or Van Buren would make good choices being that close and also being rather accessable being so close to I-40.

Little Rock would be an ideal location for gambling. With the Clinton Library, Heifer International's global village, and the rebirth of the bar/entertainment scene downtown, riverboat gambling would turn Little Rock into a true tourist destination.

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Little Rock would be an ideal location for gambling. With the Clinton Library, Heifer International's global village, and the rebirth of the bar/entertainment scene downtown, riverboat gambling would turn Little Rock into a true tourist destination.

I guess it would make Little Rock I pretty well rounded city if gambling came into the city.

I know in NW Arkansas, it wouldn't probably be suppported, unless it was somewhere along Beaver Lake,which would be pretty cool.

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I guess it would make Little Rock I pretty well rounded city if gambling came into the city.

I know in NW Arkansas, it wouldn't probably be suppported, unless it was somewhere along Beaver Lake,which would be pretty cool.

Yeah wouldn't that be a big mess. The homeowners near Beaver Lake are still planning on fighting the condo project. I really doubt they'd go for tha gambling either. I'm not so worried about needing gambling here in northwest Arkansas. I guess I tend to look more to putting gambling in areas that need some sort of boost to their economy or to counter gambling in neighboring states. I also pick Hot Springs just because of it's long time history with gambling whether it was legal or not all those years.

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Yeah wouldn't that be a big mess. The homeowners near Beaver Lake are still planning on fighting the condo project. I really doubt they'd go for tha gambling either. I'm not so worried about needing gambling here in northwest Arkansas. I guess I tend to look more to putting gambling in areas that need some sort of boost to their economy or to counter gambling in neighboring states. I also pick Hot Springs just because of it's long time history with gambling whether it was legal or not all those years.

Bella Vista would be great.

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Bella Vista would be great.

I think Bella Vista would pretty much mainly benefit those in northwest Arkansas that want to gamble. I don't know if I could see many other people from the state going all the way to Bella Vista for gambling. Do you think Ft Smith/Van Buren is too far away for people in northwest Arkansas?

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I think Bella Vista would pretty much mainly benefit those in northwest Arkansas that want to gamble. I don't know if I could see many other people from the state going all the way to Bella Vista for gambling. Do you think Ft Smith/Van Buren is too far away for people in northwest Arkansas?

I'm not sure about Van Buren/Fort Smith. It would be a nice location being near I-49 and I-40, but Fort Smith is too much of a conservative place. I think they would turn it down.

For Bella Vista, It would benefit not only the Bella Vistians, but all of the people in Southwest Missouri and NW Arkansas. Well, looks like I am in more support of lotteries and gambling than I thought. Being on Beaver lake, it would benefit well as well.

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I'm not sure about Van Buren/Fort Smith. It would be a nice location being near I-49 and I-40, but Fort Smith is too much of a conservative place. I think they would turn it down.

For Bella Vista, It would benefit not only the Bella Vistians, but all of the people in Southwest Missouri and NW Arkansas. Well, looks like I am in more support of lotteries and gambling than I thought. Being on Beaver lake, it would benefit well as well.

I do see your point about Ft Smith. That's true for other places as well. Even if it seems like a good place to put glambing it doesn't mean the people there will want it. I'm not sure if the people of Bella Vista are that less conservative though than Ft Smith in general.

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I do see your point about Ft Smith. That's true for other places as well. Even if it seems like a good place to put glambing it doesn't mean the people there will want it. I'm not sure if the people of Bella Vista are that less conservative though than Ft Smith in general.

Yeah, but they do like their booze :rofl: .

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Truthfully, the more I think about it.....the more i'm not sure if i like the idea of gambling. Especially in little rock...............

With world class attractions popping up in Little Rock (Clinton Library and Heifer International Global Village).....does Little Rock really need casinos? These new attractions in Little Rock are very popular, wholesome attractions. A nonprofit corridor is developing downtown.

There's one thing I absolutely do not want: our economy to look like Mississippi's. I would like for our economy to be well rounded... I look at Tunica or Biloxi, and I see flashy beautiful, shiny buildings. But intrinsically, everything seems a little bit cheap and empty. I mean, how much of those taxes really go to support schools?

And this is my completely liberal, semi-objective opinion. I'm not some right wing nut crying out the degradation of moral values. I'm pointing out legitmate, logical reasons for concern....

As for Hot Springs, I don't think I would mind if there was gambling. Oaklawn already is pretty much a casino. There's old run down casinos in and around downtown.

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Truthfully, the more I think about it.....the more i'm not sure if i like the idea of gambling. Especially in little rock...............

With world class attractions popping up in Little Rock (Clinton Library and Heifer International Global Village).....does Little Rock really need casinos? These new attractions in Little Rock are very popular, wholesome attractions. A nonprofit corridor is developing downtown.

There's one thing I absolutely do not want: our economy to look like Mississippi's. I would like for our economy to be well rounded... I look at Tunica or Biloxi, and I see flashy beautiful, shiny buildings. But intrinsically, everything seems a little bit cheap and empty. I mean, how much of those taxes really go to support schools?

And this is my completely liberal, semi-objective opinion. I'm not some right wing nut crying out the degradation of moral values. I'm pointing out legitmate, logical reasons for concern....

As for Hot Springs, I don't think I would mind if there was gambling. Oaklawn already is pretty much a casino. There's old run down casinos in and around downtown.

You do have a good point. I don't exactly want casinos to base Arkansas' economy around. I want them more or less to keep so much money from leaving the state to other neighboring states casinos. Although I do think you could use some of the funds from casinos and such to help out things like education.

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Yeah, education would be helped a lot by casinos.

Yet, with Mississippi, they are the number 50 on the lists and I'm afraid if gambling came into the state, we might drop down to number 50.

I understand your concern. But with Oklahoma going more into casinos also I'm worried about whether more Arkansas money will be leaving the state. I know casinos aren't the answer to Arkansas' problems but I just don't like the idea of so much money from Arkansas going across the border to other states.

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Why in the world don't we allow other counties gambling? I would love to have a few riverboat casinos sitting right outside the rivermarket in downtown LR - talk about sparking huge development

It's simple why gambling would only be allowed in those cities. Our state legislature passed a law that gives the race tracks in each of those cities the ability to ask their communities for a vote to expand gambling. Since those are locations that already have betting, and Hot Springs especially has a history of gambling, I would support it there. People in Arkansas spend hundreds of millions of dollars a year in Mississippi and Louisiana gambling. This would help keep revenue in the state. I'm pretty sure, but can anyone confirm that gambling would be limited to the race tracks in those cities?

It would be a horrible idea to allow gambling in other areas, especially Little Rock. Gambling actually tends to hurt local businesses where it is introduced. The River Market is a family friendly area, and has too much going for it. Gambling would bring in a cheap feeling to the area, as well as the negative social impact. Like I said, the reason I support it in those two other towns is because it will be restricted to a certain environment, and betting is already allowed in the race tracks.

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It's simple why gambling would only be allowed in those cities. Our state legislature passed a law that gives the race tracks in each of those cities the ability to ask their communities for a vote to expand gambling. Since those are locations that already have betting, and Hot Springs especially has a history of gambling, I would support it there. People in Arkansas spend hundreds of millions of dollars a year in Mississippi and Louisiana gambling. This would help keep revenue in the state. I'm pretty sure, but can anyone confirm that gambling would be limited to the race tracks in those cities?

It would be a horrible idea to allow gambling in other areas, especially Little Rock. Gambling actually tends to hurt local businesses where it is introduced. The River Market is a family friendly area, and has too much going for it. Gambling would bring in a cheap feeling to the area, as well as the negative social impact. Like I said, the reason I support it in those two other towns is because it will be restricted to a certain environment, and betting is already allowed in the race tracks.

Thanks for the info. I don't think I've heard it mentioned quite that way, but it makes sense. I've said this before but I don't have problems keeping the gambling in confined areas. Even if it is possible to eventually get it to other cities I still wouldn't mind starting off small and then work our way from there. West Memphis could use something to get it going and can help counter the casinos in Mississippi. Hot Springs I think is too far away to counter Oklahoma but I still think it would be interesting. Hot Springs would certainly provide much more than what other areas could provide. If you had a choice between gambling in a field in Tunica or gambling in a beautiful city like Hot Springs what would you do?

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Thanks for the info. I don't think I've heard it mentioned quite that way, but it makes sense. I've said this before but I don't have problems keeping the gambling in confined areas. Even if it is possible to eventually get it to other cities I still wouldn't mind starting off small and then work our way from there. West Memphis could use something to get it going and can help counter the casinos in Mississippi. Hot Springs I think is too far away to counter Oklahoma but I still think it would be interesting. Hot Springs would certainly provide much more than what other areas could provide. If you had a choice between gambling in a field in Tunica or gambling in a beautiful city like Hot Springs what would you do?

Probably Hot Springs just because of the history and the great tourist attractions as well.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I believe I heard something about Hot Springs and West Memphis residents voting on expanding gambling at each's respective tracks today. I don't think we are talking about anything major, but this could possibly be a step in that direction. Maybe this is why we haven't seen Johnny on today. :lol:

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