Biloxi, Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Greenville, Lula, Natchez, Tunica, and Vicksburg—destinations once known for hanging moss, antebellum homes, or seaside fun are now also sought out for casino gambling.
The phenomenal growth of the Mississippi casino resort industry has attracted substantial interest from industry observers, public officials, politicians, and public interest groups. This book seeks to begin the conversation about the effects the industry and its dramatic growth have had on the politics, culture, and people of Mississippi.
Prior to the casinos" arrival in mid-July of 1992, the river and coastal regions of Mississippi were mired in economic recession. Unemployment was high, incomes were low, and prospects for improvement were dim. The state frequently ranked at or near the bottom on a litany of national socio-economic ratings. One state economic developer said the decision to authorize casinos was "born more out of desperation" than any ingenious plan.
As the third largest casino gaming market in the United States, Mississippi today has a more than ten-year history with the casino industry. The twenty-nine non-Indian casino properties generate nearly $3 billion in gross gaming revenues, resulting in about $330 million in direct gaming taxes to the state. Millions of visitors and residents visit the state"s casinos every year.
Resorting to Casinos provides insight and some initial answers in the ongoing debate as to how well the casino industry and the state of Mississippi fit together. It addresses the Mississippi casino industry from a wide variety of perspectives: contributors include political scientists, economic developers, sociologists, and policy analysts from a variety of disciplinary perspectives. Taking an objective stance, the collection provides essays on such topics as the casino workplace, casinos and crime, the historical and cultural influences of casinos, and the economic ramifications. It provides the first truly multidisciplinary examination of the casino resort phenomenon in Mississippi.
The book also includes an update on the industry, the damage it has suffered, and the recovery it will undertake in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, which destroyed or damaged every casino on the Mississippi Gulf coast. Это и многое другое вы найдете в книге Resorting to Casinos: The Mississippi Gambling Industry