Was there for the Derby Saturday. Solid crowd, took about 20 minutes to get into the parking lot when we arrived (3:30ish). Left about 15 minutes after the Derby ended, and we were on 275 5 minutes later. Was shocked at how well they had traffic moving.

 

Casino looked nice, the race track and stands were very nice, which is to be expected when something is only 3 days old I guess. :lol2:

 

I don't think they will be running any turf races in the next few weeks. But it did look very nice.

I didn't catch what his divorce records showed. You have a link or a quick summary?

 

Williams reported significant personal gambling in 2003 divorce papers | Politics and Government | Kentucky.com

 

From above:

 

 

Williams reported gambling losses of $36,147 in the four-year period from 1999 to 2002, according to a document filed in his divorce case in 2003.

 

In order to report those losses for tax purposes, Williams had to have won a greater amount than he lost, according to the document.

 

...

 

Williams has been a key opponent of expanded gambling in the state.

 

...

 

"I firmly believe that an expansion of gambling is not in the best interest of the people of Kentucky," Williams said Friday.

 

That position is not inconsistent with his personal patronage of casinos in the past, Williams said.

 

 

 

A more partisan view:

 

Kenton County Democratic Party: The Lavish Gambling Lifestyle of David Williams

 

 

 

The conflict of interest is mostly obvious. A key politician with heavy patronage of out-of-state casinos that would definitely take a hit if Kentucky expanded its casino gambling. If Williams was going to Vegas and gambling that would be a different somewhat since Vegas casinos are not going to compete with casinos in Kentucky. But he was spending lots of money at regional casinos. Someone spending the amounts noted usually gets 'special attention' by casinos - even if they are not an influential politician. Those casinos have a vested interest in Kentucky NOT expanding its gambling base. Williams can claim there was no conflict of interest - but the optics are terrible.

Edited May 5, 201412 yr by Bluegrasscard

The KY/Barkley Lake area has really declined in the last 30 years as far as a vacation destination spot. A Casino resort on the lake could really revive that area.

The KY/Barkley Lake area has really declined in the last 30 years as far as a vacation destination spot. A Casino resort on the lake could really revive that area.

 

My guess is Casinos would be located where the population is i.e. Louisville, Lexington, NKY, etc..

I am for Casinos in Kentucky. And I think if the tax structure was set up similar to Indiana's, Kentucky would benefit enormously. In Indiana, for instance, there is a $3 tax PER TURN OF THE TURNSTILE. So, if someone leaves the casino and comes back in, Indiana collects another $3. Right now the lowest grossing casino is paying 40% tax, without any marketing or promo credits to offset the gross revenue. A small casino can bring in more than $100M annually. So, calculate the tax on that, plus the admission tax and one can see pretty quickly the amount of money being injected into Indiana's funds.

 

Indiana is petrified of Kentucky getting casinos. The onboarding of Ohio casinos has had significant impact on all but the farthest west casinos. Because the Louisville market isn't extremely loyal to any one casino environment, it seems, a casino in or near Louisville will have the largest effect on the Indiana casinos.

 

And people in Louisville would really, really do just about anything to avoid crossing a bridge into Indiana.

And people in Louisville would really, really do just about anything to avoid crossing a bridge into Indiana.

 

True. I don't even like going outside the Watterson.

Probably not new news to those in the NKY area. But this link is full of interesting history on Kentucky's Casino history:

 

newportgambling

 

Kentucky, specifically Newport for Casinos and Louisville for horse racing were destination spots for serious gamblers through out the eastern US before the incident involving a famous baseball player and before Atlantic City. This is one of the reasons that Louisville was the setting in the landmark movie 'The Hustler'. Kentucky was known for its gambling at a national level.

 

The original 'Flamingo' was in Newport. From above:

 

In the late 1930s a gambler named Arthur Dennert opened the 633/Flamingo Club, at 633 York Street. This would become one of Newport's most popular casinos (Messick, 1968: 15-19).

 

Here is another link with interesting background:

 

Gansters In Our Own Back Yard  - Newport High School - Class of 1968

I'll also add, Indiana Casinos are anticipating the onboarding of casino's in Kentucky. And although unlikely to be passed this year, there is a lot of work being done to restructure the taxing formulas to favor casinos a bit more, and the option of eliminating the turnstile tax is on the table, as well as marketing and promo credits to reduce the taxable income of casinos. The last is a graduated structure, whereby the smallest revenue producers would benefit the most, up to the largest revenue producers not eligible for credits, or eligible for a smaller percentage allowed as credit.

Edited May 5, 201412 yr by rockmom

I dont feel sorry for people with a gambling problem. I gamble all the time and never get addicted.

True. I don't even like going outside the Watterson.

 

Funny. I'm not crazy about going inside the Watterson. :sssh:

Funny. I'm not crazy about going inside the Watterson. :sssh:

 

You have to go inside the Watterson for work???? LOL

My guess is Casinos would be located where the population is i.e. Louisville, Lexington, NKY, etc..

 

I guess the French Lick Resort didn't get that memo. Not to mention there are more than a few people living in WKY, W. Tennessee, Southern Ill.

I guess the French Lick Resort didn't get that memo. Not to mention there are more than a few people living in WKY, W. Tennessee, Southern Ill.

 

French Lick is more a resort with a casino amenity. It's a bit of an anomaly as far as casino properties go. I could see a similar type of development being a possibility in areas of the state where there is a natural attraction, or a bit of tourism already in place. That would be awesome!

Rumor has it that 2 spots for casinos have emerged if a bill can pass. The first spot is in Covington where the old Jillians was, and the other in Bowling Green, being that gambling is illegal in the state of Tennessee. The company that wants to put a casino in Covington, is the one that has a train circling it and can be seen from 275 by the Covington/Independence exit. I believe it is called Columbia Sussex. They own various casinos in Vegas.

 

Bill Yung (owner of Columbia Sussex) purchased Jillian's several years ago when Kentucky was going to put gambling to a vote. That never happened, and Yung has been sitting on the property ever since. I think he purchased the building for approx. $7 million.

 

Cincinnati moved forward and built a very nice casino less than 2 miles from the Covington location, essentially terminating any chance that Covington ever had of turning Jillians into a successful casino (in my opinion).

French Lick is more a resort with a casino amenity. It's a bit of an anomaly as far as casino properties go. I could see a similar type of development being a possibility in areas of the state where there is a natural attraction, or a bit of tourism already in place. That would be awesome!

That's exactly why I said the KY/Barkely Lake area. As far as French Lick, other than a really nice golf course and casino what else is there? I guess what I'm asking is what is the natural attraction? I've been to French lick bit really just more through there.