Gambling Reaches New York City.

Gambling Reaches New York City.
It worked in Pennsylvania, however there are those who are very concerned.

In 2006, the New York state legislature gave the NY Lotto the power to regulate and license slot machines and video poker in a racing track 5 miles away from Manhattan. People were immediately fearful that a "racino" with an 18 to gamble law (as opposed to 21 in other area casinos) would do nothing but cause crime and depress real estate prices in the surrounding area.
Many people believe there are benefits in having a racino that brings in millions of dollars. In New York, most of the money generated by the racino, like most New York Lotto games, is used for education. And in Pennsylvania, it helped lower property taxes. However there are others that believe there is indeed a cause for concern.
In the 1970s, when Atlantic city, a resort town that used to be the Disney World of the early 20th century, eventually decayed into a barren wasteland of filth and drugs, the New Jersey state legislature approved one of the most controversial plans ever by a state. The city was one of the worst in the nation and quickly needed money. So by 1976 New Jersey became the second state to allow casinos and gambling. Did it help? Well it certainly created thousands of jobs and with posh hotels like Hotel Chelsea and Borgata, incredible restaurants that rival New York and Vegas and 37,000,000 visitors a year compared to Vegas' 38,000,000 a year, so it can certainly look like a success on paper, especially when you consider the 150 percent increase in real estate prices Atlantic city went through in the past decade. However, crime still runs rampant outside the casino boardwalk area and Atlantic city's high school remains one of the worst in the state.
Then one might point out what gambling did to parts of Connecticut when they allowed the Native Americans to open Casinos. Over 200,000 jobs were created and the tribes who live in these reservations, people who were used to poverty and depression, now see hope and millions of dollars in profits (sometimes billions for certain Casinos).. instant economy for the reservations.
So in essence, it works. Especially when one considers that in its first week, the Empire City Casino, 5 minutes from Yankee Stadium in Yonkers profited 4 millions dollars a day that week and still profits numbers just as close, more any other race track in the tri state area! Consider the fact that most of the money raised in Empire City goes into education and one may feel they are giving to charity when they gamble! so that can be dangerous in its own right! Justified gambling!