There has been a lot of talk lately about the possibility of bringing a casino to the village of Lake George in the near future. Governor Cuomo recently stated that legislative leaders are trying to pursue a constitutional amendment to legalize casino gambling across the state.While the village of Lake George is usually hopping in the summer, winter in Lake George is very quiet. A casino in the area may bring year-round business, greatly improving the economy of the area.
Interested in some Pros and Cons? Read on..
Lake George officials are going to conduct (buy) a study exploring the idea of opening a casino in the village. The study, which has been approved, will cost as much as $15,000 yet is an extremely important portion of the planning process.
In a similar study conducted in 1996, it was found that crime rates increase in certain categories with the opening of new casinos. Lake George doesn't even have a police department. This could cause problems, and lead to additional spending.
The area is already well known as a family resort destination with a beautiful lake. A casino may be seen as a blemish on the current image of the town. A casino in Lake George will definitely bring in business, but at what cost?
There are many people in the area that are out of work, and a new casino would, without a doubt, provide a number of new jobs. If the casino was open all year, tourists and patrons will be populating the village all winter long, helping out several businesses that are forced to close for the season or open only on weekends due to lack of volume.
In the opinion of Lake George Mayor Robert Blaise, this could be one of the biggest decisions that the village will ever have to make.
South of Lake George in Saratoga Springs, NY, the Saratoga Casino & Raceway is anticipating the legalization of casino gambling in New York state with a $40M plan for expansion, which includes adding more gaming space, a hotel and more.
What do you think? Will a casino in Lake George help the year-round economy, or will it tarnish the reputation of our wonderful vacation destination?
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Casinos would definitely tarnish the reputation of Lake George. There's enough of these group bus lures around the Northeast and not enough fishing havens for the public to enjoy!