What We Really Need? Maybe it's a Casino...?
Our Sixth City Series Continues with a Meditation on Gambling

Minus the brutal murders and the trafficking of narcotics, the first part of my life was a lot closer to an episode of The Sopranos than it was The Cosby Show. In fact, some of my earliest memories include my grandfather teaching me how to play poker and blackjack. Before I could swim, I knew how to fill out squares for the Super Bowl.

After the second grade, I still had trouble figuring out fractions... but I knew if a team was -3.5 on the road it meant, "Don't gamble on this game because Vegas doesn't have a clue what is going to happen." I even got away with running a NCAA March Madness pool throughout middle school.

All this is to say that I grew up taking and placing bets and I'll cop to still liking to gamble on occasion. In terms of excitement, a casino in the Cleveland area could be right up there with the Cavaliers drafting LeBron James. I say it could be, but just the same, that doesn't mean I think Cleveland should have a casino. I'm very wary about the possibility of Cleveland having a casino, actually.

Putting in a casino isn’t exactly like opening a Nike Town store. Casinos operate on a different level. Not only do the owners need complete control inside the casino, but they also need to control the area surrounding the casino. Think of a casino like an independent city-state, similar to (blasphemy!) Vatican City. Instead of the Pope, the Pit Boss's word is the one that can't be questioned by anyone.

However, there are aspects about Cleveland that make the city an interesting spot for casinos. One is the new medical mart and convention center plan. Cleveland is aiming to gradually take over Chicago's role as the convention destination of the Midwest with this one, I think. This could be a huge plus for the casino business. If you think about it, Las Vegas was saved during the Reagan Revolution by conventions and they continue to support its economy today. It’s a pretty simple concept, actually. There are no "Struggling Actors" conventions. People who attend conventions have money they don’t mind spending.

Cleveland has a couple of other great features that could benefit greatly by the establishment of a casino or two: our great live entertainment and our bar and restaurant industries. Here is the thing most people don’t consider about casinos: gambling is simply a byproduct of the "nightlife" and only hardcore gambling addicts go to Vegas or Atlantic City go jut for the gaming. The real allure for the vast majority of travelers is the nightlife. And when you tink about that, Cleveland already has an incredible leg up, so to speak... we draw all of the great stand-up comics, bands love playing here, PlayhouseSquare and our many theatres are often bustling... and then there's this guy Michael Symon and a flock of other inventive chefs and resterateurs running some of the most lauded restaurants in the country.

Now maybe I'm wrong, but I just don't think a lot of people outside of Ohio plan a vacation around the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame + Museum. This is not a knock on the Rock Hall by any stretch; the fact is that museums in general are often considered complimentary attractions. Cleveland is stacked with high quality complimentary attractions. But if you add a main attraction, a casino with a large entertainment complex that could host boxing matches and/or Mixed Martial Arts events -- did you know Ohio has produced quite a few heavyweights, including one-time Clevelander mac Danzig? -- you could use such a place to show off everything else.

Then think about what happens when Cleveland cleans up the lake and figures out how to establish its own Atlantic City boardwalk...? Once that happened, I'd have a hard time believing that Cleveland doesn’t become a tourist destination.

But hey, let's backtrack for second: There are some scenarios where I could actually see casinos in Cleveland backfiring, too. My first concern deals with the recent developments surrounding the Cuyahoga County corruption scandal. Now, this may sound a little abnormal, but I'm not actually afraid of corruption itself occurring; I’m more concerned with the idea that investigators could actively be looking (hunting?) for casino corruption while government corruption goes unchecked. Having casino operators being under constant suspicion -- and given negative media attention -- for corruption could give the whole plan a huge black eye.

Another concern I have stems again from the notion of casinos operating like city-states. The atmosphere in and around casinos is, to a large degree, the polar opposite of Walt Disney World. Tourists have to feel like there is a good chance of something a little uncouth/ mischievous/ deviant occurring.

It's the "What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas" phenomenon. You know, that something that you would leave out when your boss asked you "So how was the vacation?" But something you would also explain to a friend (or maybe even a family member) with that heavy dose of "You should have been there!" to the one friend who couldn’t make the trip.

Every casino city has to run this way. It makes for good stories which make for return trips.

Cleveland is going to have to make some tough judgment calls if casinos are going to be a viable tourist attraction. It won’t work if City Council views casino goers as potential revenue via ticketing crackdowns. It has to ride that line between letting people get away with stuff they normally wouldn’t and enforcing laws for public safety. If not, then why bother thinking about casinos.

The reality is a casino could easily set the city back a minimum of ten years. Worst case scenario is it can make Cleveland a hybrid of Detroit and East L.A., but at the same time, we can't ignore the potential of what a properly ran casino (or two) could mean to Cleveland. It's not unreasonable to think Cleveland wouldn’t boom like it did after WWII. Casinos do have the power to do a great many things, including determining the fate of a city, for good or for ill.

In other words (natch) it's a roll of the dice.

How say you, Cleveland? "Yes" or "No" on a casino and why? Send your thoughts to Letters@CoolCleveland.com and tell us what you think!

From Cool Cleveland contributor Jeff Biasella jeffbiasellaATyahoo.com
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