Will Your Business Be Hurt By

the Highway 99 Casino?

 

You may have heard that a Las Vegas casino operator and the North Fork Indian Tribe have purchased land just off Highway 99 in Madera to construct a huge new casino.  They are trying to convince the federal government to declare this property — which is 40 miles from the current North Fork tribal lands – a new Indian Reservation so they can go ahead with their casino scheme.

Regardless of how you feel about  Indian gaming,  you owe it to your employees and yourself to carefully consider how this Vegas casino will impact your business.

Here are a few facts about how casinos impact local businesses:

Studies have shown that when a large new casino locates in a region, existing businesses lose customers and revenue. This is because customers often choose to spend extra spending money at the casino’s restaurants, entertainment venues, and clothing and gift stores instead of at local businesses.

For example, a study for the National Gambling Impact Study Commission found that “casinos often undercut some local hospitality operations by subsidizing restaurants, bars and lodging onsite.”

Another study concluded that businesses on nontribal lands can be at a distinct competitive disadvantage with businesses on Indian land – since Indian casinos are exempt from state income taxes.

Even well-known gambling promoters have publicly conceded that casinos hurt local businesses:

 ”People will spend a tremendous amount of money that they would normally spend on buying a refrigerator or new car.  Local business will suffer because they’ll lose customer dollars to the casino.”    Donald Trump

Local business owners elsewhere have been hurt by Indian gambling in their region:

“Since the casinos have put in their illegal machines many of the businesses in the Valley have seen their revenues plummet.  Many of the mom and pop stores are struggling to just pay their bills.  Commercial vacancies have fallen likewise…Boarded up windows and closed businesses mean depressed sales which in turn have resulted in less taxes for the City of Indio.”                           Letter from Concerned Businessmen of East Coachella Valley 

What You Can Do to Protect Your Business and Employees:

Join the growing coalition of elected officials, businesses, religious organizations and others who have opposed the North Fork Tribe’s Highway 99 casino.  Please complete and send us the attached opposition by mail or go online to: www.nooffreservationcasino.com