Before we get worked up about this happening, state law would have to change first to allow an Indian Casino off of reservation land. As I understand it, but correct me if I am wrong, those laws can change through the legislature and Governor’s signature OR by voters. Not sure if it would be modeled after how gambling came to Deadwood or not. I’m a little murky on those details. But if the law changes it could also help another community that has been proposing a casino to, Yankton.

So why do I bring this up?

First the obvious, the Badland’s Pawn location and building would be a perfect fit, it would also boost that area of town that has struggled for decades to become an entertainment district. It would also stop the money sucking from Grand Falls and provide millions in tax revenue towards the state and city.

Secondly, it is also about opportunity. Royal River tried to convince the city (mostly the former mayor) to go into talks about locating by the intersections of I-90 and I-29 before we built the Denty. They promised the city a yearly payment to use towards the Denty’s mortgage. I believe the amount was between $6-10 million a year, but I don’t recall. TenHaken’s current COS Erica Beck was in talks with Royal River when she was the former urban planner and tried to convince Former Mayor Wear a Cowboy Hat Backwards to talk to them. He refused saying he hated gambling. While I agree I am not a big fan of video lottery, I’m not to opposed to a full-service casino entertainment center, especially since a lot of that money now is being spent in Iowa, it would just get transferred to our economy.

It will be interesting to see if talks will be renewed under a TenHaken administration with Beck back in public service.

Sorry to see Yankton is doing so badly. I have never understood why, they sit on one of the most beautiful lakes in South Dakota. The economic development options on Lewis & Clark, I would think would be endless. Look at what Okoboji has done without a Casino on their waterfront.

Expanding gambling options in South Dakota is NOT the answer. The irony is that they would only be pulling gamblers from Fort Randall and Nebraska Indian Casinos, they would not be creating any new clientele.

Oh, and Gambling SUCKS and is a poor way to fund government. But what is the most disheartening is that this idea is being pitched by a Democrat that should know the pain gambling has caused our state;

“I think the challenge is we need to compete with Omaha, Lincoln and Minneapolis,” Senator Bernie Hunhoff said.

If that was true, which I don’t think it is, why do it with gambling?

I’m extremely disappointed with the short-sightedness of Yankton’s leaders. There is a reason why the Republicans have had control of this state for over 40 years, because the Dems in leadership roll over and play dead.

(Image: www.fallsparkfarmersmarket.com)

It’s one thing to steal video lottery revenue from Sioux Falls, now Grand Falls is stealing farmers;

The market will be held Sundays in the Grand Falls parking lot from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The market will begin July 8 and continue through Aug. 26. There is no cost for vendors to host a space.

I wonder what affect this will have on the Farmer’s Market by Falls Park? Hmmmmmm.

Stormland-TV did have a story about it.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDm_ZHyYTrg[/youtube]

The new casino will have tons of new entertainment, that I knew would compete with SF, especially the Pavilion;

“Frank Caliendo on June 17th and June 18th, and in July we have Charlie Daniels Band. In August, Bret Michaels, so it’ll be kind of a fun place,” Haselhoff said as she listed off the shows the event center will host in the first few months.

It amazes me how Iwegians have figured out how to pull this stuff together in less then a year, while the Pavilion has been fumbling around for over 10 years, and they still cannot decide whether R & R is appropriate. Take a chill pill already.

Well isn’t this funny.  All those pious right wingers and South Dakota leads in being a state that profits from sin. Can they say hypocrites???

From 24/7 Wall St.: As state budgets strain under huge debt loads, they are counting increasingly on “sin taxes”, one of the few reliable sources of revenue in these uncertain economic times. 

States have profited from the public’s voracious appetite for easy money (gambling), nicotine (smoking) and booze (alcohol) for years. Some are more successful at it than others. A few states generate less than 1% of their revenue from preying on their residents’ vices while sin accounts for between 5% and nearly 13% of the budgets of others. Some of the difference can be chalked up to varying rates of addiction, but aggressive tax policy also plays a part. Pennsylvania makes the greatest percent of its revenue from gaming taxes of any state. It charges a 55% tax on slot machine proceeds. Conversely, Las Vegas collects only 8%.

 

5. South Dakota
Most Profitable Sin: Lottery ($117 Million) 

Revenue From Sin: $212 Million (11th Lowest)

Total State Revenue: $3.8 Billion (The Lowest)

Percent Total Revenue From Sin: 5.63%

The National Association of State Budget Officers estimates that South Dakota collected less revenue than any state last year. That is why the state’s $212 million collected from “sin” is the fifth biggest percentage of government income in the country. The state collects the 19th most in gaming taxes in the U.S., although this is primarily because 29 states do not collect taxes on their casinos at all. The state’s biggest source of sin-based income is the South Dakota Lottery, which generated roughly $117 million in revenue last year. The state’s cigarette tax is $1.53 per pack, roughly triple that of North Dakota. The state’s alcohol taxes are also higher than most, at 27 cents per gallon of beer. According to the South Dakota newspaper The Capitol Journal, the state’s revenues from video lotteries actually dropped as much as 15% last year, possibly because of a smoking ban in casinos and bars which was enacted in November.