By Bill Britt
Alabama Political Reporter
MONTGOMERY— MGM Resorts International has offered a plan to build a billion dollar gambling casino complex in Atlanta. This should give Birmingham Mayor William Bell, and all those who would like the “Magic City” to become a destination spot rivaling Atlanta, heartburn. The mere mention of the idea has send shockwaves of fear through the Native American casinos in neighboring states, in much the same way a gaming proposal introduced by Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh caused consternation among the Poarch Band of Creek Indians (PCI).
Georgia’s General Assembly is moving toward a measure that would allow Vegas-style gaming in five zones within the state. The plan is very similar to the one Marsh has proposed.
“The difference between Georgia and Alabama is that Georgia is making sure they make money from gaming. We don’t get a dime from the gaming that is already here and we are ignoring a plan that will create 11,000 jobs, generate 400 million dollars annually, and have a 1.2 billion dollar economic impact on the state,” said Chip Hill, Executive Director of the Alabama Jobs Foundation. “What Georgia is doing makes perfect financial sense. Nearly a million Georgians went to Mississippi casinos last year and they had to pass through Alabama to get there.”
According to a report by Steve Larson, the MGM gambling complex would, “fall under the category of an “integrated resort,” meaning it would have a luxury hotel, entertainment complex, and significant shopping area. Essentially, the casino would be the centerpiece of a city economic development project.”
The resort, when fully functional, could create an estimated 3,500 permanent jobs. Something the plan put forward by Marsh could accomplish according to as AUM study.
“Eighty-nine percent of the people in Alabama want to vote on gaming. How long will we refuse to give people the right to vote on gaming, and how long will we ignore gaming as a viable revenue source and job creator,” said Hill.
The Georgia plan is the same as the one envisioned for Birmingham, and other key locations in the state.
However, those close to Marsh are saying the Senator is backing away from the plan because his pollster Jimmy McLaughlin is telling him he can’t be governor and sponsor the omnibus gaming bill, too. Recently, Marsh has been testing the waters for the governor’s race in 2018.
If Marsh walks away from the gambling legislation, he will upset some big mules in Birmingham, and other parts of the state, but will cement his friendship with PCI, who seemed destined to be big players in the next gubernatorial contest.
Like Native American casinos are in fear of an Atlanta gaming complex, the PCI worry about any plan that would infringe on their monopoly.
Native American Community, News, People of One Fire questioned “How much this sudden concentration of gambling casinos in Georgia will affect the Native American casinos in the Southeast is still a matter of speculation, but the fact that they will all be on major interstate highways could make the impact catastrophic.”
They also found, “the proposed Columbus, GA casino could take the lion’s share of out-of-state business away from the Poarch Creek casino in Wetumpka.
While southern states like Mississippi and Florida have embraced the expansion of gaming, politicos in the Heart of Dixie remain cool to the idea, fearing the small percentage of republican voters who oppose it.
Polling shows a gaming bill easily passing a vote of the people, but giving the people a voice in such matters is not usual in Alabama.
