Will Casinos Finally Come to Georgia?

For many years the idea of opening casinos in the state of Georgia has been a hot topic. Lawmakers have grappled with this issue for a while now. The 2010 gubernatorial race has caused the issue to once again to surface. Will we finally see casinos come to the state of Georgia?

The state of Georgia needs something to help boost its economy. Fifteen years ago both lawmakers and residents believed the lottery would be the sole economic savior for the state of Georgia, but it has done just the opposite.

If Georgia opened up casinos I strongly believe it would do economic wonders for the state. Currently, Georgia does not have fully operational casinos but are limited to clandestine ones on riverboats. As a result, Georgia is missing out on much needed revenue. Too many times I have seen caravans of tour buses filled with Georgians traveling across statelines to partake in casino gambling.

Casinos have done amazing things for the state of Mississippi! We should at least model a gaming system after another Southeastern state especially if it is one that has proved to be successful. It is crazy for Georgia lawmakers to stand by watching Georgia residents take their money across statelines boosting other state economies. Those same people I am sure would prefer to gamble right here in the state of Georgia if casinos were available.

When people go out of town to casinos not only do they have to pay for travel but also they have to pay for lodging. Georgia could capitalize on this tourism cash cow. This would surely attract residents from other states to come to the peach state to spend money, especially those who live in states that border Georgia.

I realize if the dream of having casinos becomes a reality, at first people may not be too receptive, but there were also people who initially did not support the Georgia lottery. Now some of those same people are playing lottery games on a regular basis. We need casinos in Georgia to reduce the state's deficit. If people would just look past the negative aspects, they would see the many benefits.