Dane County Casino Referendum Approaches
Pro-Casino Study: There Won't Be Any 'Social Costs'
Posted: 8:49 p.m. CST January 19, 2004Updated: 6:57 a.m. CST January 21, 2004
DANE COUNTY, Wis. -- There's less than a month to go before the Dane County casino referendum, and each side is rolling out casino studies.
Casino opponents said Tuesday that Dane County could lose nearly $150 million a year in lost wagering and indirect "social costs."
Their study, done by gambling economist William Thompson, argues a casino on the outskirts of Madison would hurt Dane County because area residents would be the dominant patrons and most of the money lost there would come from them. Combined with their losses, the social costs of gambling and indirect losses, he figures the Dane County economy would lose $148.6 million a year.
The first volley came Monday as a study, sponsored by the Ho-Chunk Nation and other casino supporters, said Dane County would cash in big on a casino. The report, by Northstar Economics, said a casino would pump $47 million a year into the Dane County economy and create nearly 1,400 jobs, including 600 at the casino. The city and county would see a total $10 million a year in new tax revenue -- including nearly $3 million a year from sales and property taxes separate from the negotiated subsidies, the study said.
The study doesn't include any "social costs," because the authors say there won't really be any.
"The notion (of social costs) seems unrealistic that somehow we're in a pristine county where none of this takes place, and if we open up a casino, then all of the sudden it'll blossom," said David Ward, one of the study's authors and president of Northstar.
Ward said Wisconsin has established gambling, so the social costs are already apparent.
Draft Report Corrected, Rereleased
The regional planning commission has corrected a draft report it gave city and county officials. Its "second draft report" says the total socioeconomic impact to the area would be anywhere from a positive $65 million a year to a negative $100 hundred million.
The first draft said it would be a gain, anywhere from $3 to $130 million a year.
Referendum Set For Feb. 17
Dane County residents will vote on the casino Feb. 17. If the referendum is passed and approved by Gov. Doyle, Madison and Dane County would each get a minimum $3.5 million a year from the Ho-Chunk.
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